RxTran Meets All NY Pharmacy Language Requirements Under SafeRx

On Tuesday, March 27th, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature announced groundbreaking legislation that mandates pharmacies provide both verbal interpretation and written translation services for patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). RxTran specializes in pharmacy language services and provides both verbal on-demand phone interpreting and written translation of prescription directions for use (SIGs), auxiliary warning labels and patient education sheets.

RxTran is the only pharmacy language services provider that satisfies all requirements of the New York pharmacy language regulations under SafeRx. On Tuesday, March 27th, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature announced that SafeRx was included in the final New York state budget. This groundbreaking legislation mandates that pharmacies provide both verbal interpretation and written translation services for patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). RxTran specializes in pharmacy language services and provides both verbal on-demand phone interpreting and written translation of prescription directions for use (SIGs), auxiliary warning labels and patient education sheets.

RxTran offers a unique solution to providing language access to LEP patients. For a low monthly subscription, pharmacies across NY and throughout the United States can access RxTran’s Software as a Service (SaaS) online library of pre-translated prescription drug label information to print (either directly onto prescription labels or in a supplemental form) and distribute to patients with LEP. RxTran also provides on-demand phone (verbal) interpreting, allowing pharmacists to dial a toll-free number and be able to communicate with non-English speaking customers within seconds.

In a release on Tuesday, March 27th, Governor Cuomo stated, “This Budget requires the State Education Department and the Department of Health to issue regulations that will require chain pharmacy stores to provide oral interpretation services and written translation services to customers with limited English proficiency who are filling prescriptions.”

It is estimated by the National Pharmaceutical Council and the American Hospital Association that more than 125,000 Americans die each year due to prescription medication non-compliance—twice the number killed in automobile accidents. Additionally, they estimate that prescription non-compliance costs more than $270 million in hospitalization and other medical costs every day, adding up to $290 billion per year in increased medical costs.

“The combination of RxTran and the New York legislative requirements will save tens of thousands of lives and millions of dollars,” says Brian Kratt, CEO of RxTran. “We applaud New York for taking this bold step to protect its LEP citizens.”

The SafeRx provision covers the entire state of New York and affects pharmacy chains with 8 or more stores and mail order pharmacies doing business within New York. This mandate will go into effect one year from the date that it is formally signed into law.

Including this provision in the final New York state budget is the culmination of years of work by Make the Road New York and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) to safeguard language access rights for LEP people receiving pharmacy services. NYLPI has called this “a major victory for all New Yorkers.”

“This legislation is a huge victory for immigrants, seniors and anyone who has struggled to know how to take their medications,” says Theo Oshiro, Director of Health Advocacy and Community Workforce Development for Make the Road New York. “Language access is such an important part of the healthcare system. New York state and the city of New York have been leaders on this issue, and we hope other states follow suit. This legislation shows the leadership of our legislators and governor in terms of safeguarding people’s health.”

RxTran provides cost effective, simple to use language solutions for pharmacies that require both written translation and verbal interpreting. It alone is uniquely able to fulfill the recently passed New York regulations. RxTran enables pharmacists to maintain legislative compliance, be competitive and reach growing untapped markets of non-English speaking customers.

About RxTran
RxTran provides pharmacies with language services, offering an on-line library of pre-translated written prescription drug information in 17 foreign languages and phone interpreting verbal instructions into over 150 languages. For more information, visit: https://www.RxTran.com or email: info@rxtran.com