HEALTHY COLORADO: UCHealth launches program to translate prescription medication labels
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- There are 26 languages UCHealth can translate for prescriptions filled at their pharmacy.
Having access to these translations allows more than 90% of UCHealth patients with limited English proficiency the opportunity to better understand prescription instructions, improving safety and patient outcomes, according to a press release sent this week by UCHealth.
Nearly half of all Coloradans take at least one prescription medication, according to the Colorado Health Institute.
While some short-term prescriptions are used to treat acute illnesses, like Influenza, a majority of the time medications are used long-term to manage life-altering chronic conditions such as heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, and depression. Having access to translated prescription medication labels, especially when someone has more than one prescription, helps avoid confusion, increases health literacy, and ensures vulnerable patients receive appropriate doses.
Translated prescription medications became available in February at all UCHealth pharmacies, including their mail-in delivery pharmacy. UCHealth University of Colorado hospital pharmacies are currently seeing the largest volume of translations, with Spanish being the number one language requested. In February, UCHealth pharmacies dispensed over 2,000 prescriptions with translated labels.
In the event a translation is unavailable, patients can speak with their provider or pharmacist through a UCHealth interpreter, provided at no cost, to ask questions and ensure they understand how to safely take their medications.
