Language Barrier Case Study

A Korean patient was picking up the prescription in the pharmacy I work at. This was a new medication for him with a very complicated dosing regimen. When a new medication is being picked up, the computer prompts the technician at the pick up station to ask the patient if the patient has any questions about the new medication. The patient was asked that question, but because of the language barrier did not really understand the question and the technician took the answer to that question as a “no”. Couple of hours later this patient comes back with his prescription, pointing to a package, saying he does not know how to take his new medication. The technician let the pharmacist know that the patient requires counseling on a new medication. The pharmacist first attempt to counsel a patient on his dosing regimen was not successful due to the language barrier. The issue in this situation was the presence of the cultural differences between the patient and the pharmacist that prevented the pharmacist from providing an appropriate medication counseling. The cultural difference in this case was the presence of the language barrier.
The pharmacist asked her to translate for the patient during the counseling session. I think the pharmacist did a very good job at trying to resolve the issue of the language barrier. I believe that cultural differences, like language, customs, beliefs, and social status should not prevent a healthcare professional from providing a good patient care. Therefore, it is very important for every health professional to be culturally competent, understand cultural differences, and know how to approach patients of a different ethnic, racial, religious, or social