You're Gonna LOVE This One....

Pharmacies Plan to Translate Drug Instructions

Yep. That was the headline which appeared on page 35 of my local weekly, "The Photo News."

(It's actually an AP piece; here's a link to the actual story.)

Five major pharmacy chains agreed Tuesday to print drug instructions at their New York stores in five languages other than English and indicated that they plan to expand the option to other states.

The companies are Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, Duane Reade and A&P.

Hmm... mighty big companies. Deep pockets. Competitive advantage... theirs.

The agreements will also require the companies to provide oral assistance in more than 150 languages.

"...in more than 150 languages...?!?!" OK. How the heck that is gonna work in practice... search me?!

The companies, which together have 700 stores in New York state, agreed with state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to counsel and provide written translations in Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian and French.

The companies didn't agree to Polish translations, although other pharmacies agreed to that in previous deals with the attorney general.

(*SNORT*)

Pharmacists in New York must personally provide information about prescription drugs to all patients, orally and in writing, and pharmacies are prohibited from conducting business in a way that discriminates against non-English speakers.

OK, folks... this is nuts. While I don't believe that the big box stores and chains operating in New York State... New York State, USA... should have to by law cater to non-English speakers, at least in theory they have the deep pockets and vast human resource pools to deal with such regulations. How'bout the little guys? How'bout the mom & pop pharmacies? How'bout the guy or gal who went to school and spent tens of thousands of dollars to become a pharmacist and whose dream it was to open his or her own pharmacy or perhaps go into partnership with a peer or peers? How are they supposed to bear the burden?

According to census data, more than a million New Yorkers do not speak English "well or at all."

Who the hell cares...?!?! Why is this my problem...??? Why should this be the problem of American pharmacists...?!?!

Hey... non-English speakers who live here in New York... LEARN ENGLISH! You wanna speak Spanish? Go live in Spain! Jeez... catering to you is NOT my responsibility nor should it be the responsibility of New York's pharmacists! Same with ALL non-English speakers. You wanna live here but you don't wanna learn English... face the consequences. Pay to have your drug instructions and related information translated! You want the info translated... YOU PAY FOR IT...!!!

Cuomo started investigating pharmacy policies and procedures after getting complaints from the organization Make the Road New York, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that supports New York City's low-income and immigrant population.

The investigation found that pharmacies routinely fail to advise non-English speaking customers in their own language about the purpose, dosage and side effects of their medications.

Hey... Cuomo... ya wanna know the reason pharmacies routinely fail to advise non-English customers in their own language...? It's because THIS IS AMERICA...!!! It's because English is our national language...!!! It's because no pharmacist speaks 150 languages and very few speak five!

My God... this is insane...!!! This is government run amok!

We're in trouble, folks... we're in deep, deep trouble.