CVS and Rite-Aid will provide New York customers with prescription medication instructions in their primary language

NEW YORK, NY (November 13, 2008) – Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that two of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States – CVS and Rite-Aid – have entered into agreements with his office to provide New York customers with prescription medication instructions in their primary language. With these agreements, CVS and Rite-Aid, which also owns Eckerd and Genovese pharmacies, will counsel all pharmacy customers about prescription information in their own language and provide written translations in Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian, French, and Polish.

Attorney General Cuomo initiated an undercover investigation into the policies and procedures of pharmacies after receiving and reviewing complaints that pharmacies routinely fail to advise non-English speaking customers in a language that allows them to understand the purpose, dosage, and side-effects of their medications. New York law requires pharmacists to personally provide information about prescription drugs to all patients, orally and in writing, and prohibits pharmacies from conducting business in a way that discriminates against non-English speakers. According to census data, over one million New Yorkers do not speak English well or at all. More...