A new study from Northwestern University highlights the challenges many pharmacy-counter exchanges might present for those who speak only Spanish. Researchers there surveyed pharmacies in Texas and Colorado (which have had, for some time, large Latino populations) and Georgia and North Carolina (which have burgeoning Latino populations).

Of 764 pharmacies, only 43.3% could solidly offer instructions in Spanish, 21.7% offered some translation services and 34.9% offered no such  services.

Reference information available at: 1) The Northwestern news release and the journal abstract in the June issue of the journal Medical Care, and 2) Manual Merck de información médica para el hogar.

The abstract concludes: “The majority of pharmacies surveyed offered limited or no translation services. Lack of translation services is not isolated to rural areas or locations with a marginal Latino population. Spanish-speaking patients encounter barriers to acquiring instructions that support the safe and effective use of medications.”