TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT AND LEP PATIENT COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects persons from discrimination based on their race, color, or national origin. This also extends to Healthcare services, so compliance to this very important regulation is critical…..Read More

FOUR MAJOR FACTORS WITH PRESCRIPTIONS TRANSLATIONS FOR LEP PATIENTS

Yesterday, I spoke with a woman originally from Brazil, and she casually noted that her parents were in the US visiting her family, and her father had to get his medical prescription filled during his stay. Since he was not a native English speaker, he experienced significant difficulty understanding the dosage directions on the prescription label, until his daughter intervened to……Read More

Federal Agencies

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Safety portal: The consumer-oriented portal for information about drug safety and drug labels. Includes links to FDA Safety Alerts.

The Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Portal of the Office of Civil Rights of the US Department of Health & Human Services. They are the primary federal agency that deals with provision of translation and interpreting services to limited English proficiency individuals in all heathcare facilities that receive federal funding.

Documents and Laws Regulating Provision of Translation and Interpreting Services at Pharmacies and Health Facilities to People with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons:

The 2004 revision of the LEP Guidance issued by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.Although the guidance does not mention pharmacies explicitly, this document, in practice, serves as the legal basis for federal agencies in regulating and enforcing provision of translation services in community pharmacies to people with limited English proficiency.

Access to Multilingual Medication Instructions at New York City Pharmacies: A 2007 study published by The New York Academy of Medicine.

Other Resources

The National Health Law Program: NHeLP is a national public interest law firm. It is one of the best resources on the subject of language access laws and regulations on federal, state, and local levels.

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest: A major public advocacy for improved language assistance services at hospitals and pharmacies in New York City.

To get more information about our pharmacy language services, call 617-621-0945 or email info@rxtran.com to find out how RxTran can help you provide a more comprehensive set of services to your pharmacy clients.