The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has released the eighth edition report in its Medicine Safety series, urging governments to address language and cultural barriers that put multicultural patients at greater risk of medicine-related harm.
The report titled Medicine Safety: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community Care, calls for 5 policy measures, including routine use of professional interpreters, culturally tailored referral pathways for Home Medicines Reviews, expanded national health data capturing English proficiency and languages spoken at home, multilingual dosing information, and stronger cultural safety training for pharmacists.
Medicine safety: a basic human right
PSA National President Professor Mark Naunton MPS says medicine safety shouldn’t depend on a patient’s language or cultural background.
“Medicine safety is our highest priority, and no Australian should experience medicines-related harm because of the language they speak, the culture they hold or their ability to access and navigate healthcare services safely,” he says.
“As a pharmacist, I have seen firsthand how easily misunderstandings can occur when patients are unable to access medicines information in a language they understand.
“What might seem like a minor communication barrier can affect how medicines are taken, how side effects are recognised and ultimately whether treatment is safe and effective.”
Health system navigation “significantly more difficult”
“Navigating our complex health system is challenging, and it is significantly more difficult for Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who, as a result, face a higher risk of medicine-related harm,” says Professor Naunton.
“We are confident that adopting these sensible measures at the policy-making table will make an immediate difference to the frontline care pharmacists provide across the nation.”
The report can be viewed on the PSA website: Medicine Safety: Culturally and linguistically diverse community care.
