Lost in translation: Medication labeling for immigrant families

Abstract

Objective To identify the patient-safety hazards of current medication labeling standards for immigrant and language-minority families. Summary The Latino population in the United States (US) has increased by more than 40% over the last decade and the total child population born to Latino parents will surpass half the population in many states. This demographic shift has a disproportional effect on the Latino families with recent health care and immigration policies. Research shows that recent Latin American immigrants face disparities when encountering the US pharmacy system. A review of these disparities shows how new policies should be informed when considering new pharmacy regulations in order to better address the cultural needs of recent Latin American families to improve medication understanding and adherence. Conclusion To date, research and regulatory requirements for medication safety in the United States have attended insufficiently to the patient-safety risk inherent in providing complex, English-language labels to non-English-speaking families, many of whom have limited literacy in their native language. As families move, this patient-safety risk is increased by shifts in pharmacies, which often have different medication-labeling standards. It is important to examine how recent immigrant parents are addressing the medication needs for their children based on their cultural norms and how those cultural practices and acculturation into the US health care system may impact their risk for injury. New research and policy efforts may help address these barriers to safe medication use.