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USE
OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE IN COMMUNITY PHARMACY - AN INITIAL QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY
Introduction Communication of information to patients and to other health professionals is a key aspect of the pharmacist’s role. In fact, the Pharmacy Code of Ethics1 states that pharmacists should provide advice to patients "in a way in which it can be understood". In Wales, around 20% of the population speak Welsh2, which impacts on this requirement. Yet, to date, there has been little research to consider the use of the Welsh language in community pharmacies. The aim of this study was, therefore, to explore the use of the Welsh language in the pharmacy setting in two bilingual communities in North and West Wales. Methods A questionnaire was developed based on the results of 37 semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of residents of two towns in North and West Wales. The resulting bilingual (Welsh-English) questionnaire was then distributed with a freepost return envelope to 500 homes in Cardiganshire and Anglesey in Spring 2004. The questionnaire was targeted at the person who visited a pharmacy most often. As the questionnaire was anonymous, there was no follow-up mailing to non-responders. Results In total, 259 responses were received (52%). Two hundred and eleven respondents (82%) stated that Welsh is their first language, of whom 73% (154) completed the Welsh version of the questionnaire. The results presented relate to those respondents who stated their first language is Welsh. Of these, 74% were female, while ages ranged from 18-90 years, mean 52.7 years (±18). Ninety-five percent of these Welsh-speakers stated that they also understood spoken English. Almost all of the Welsh-speaking respondents agreed that "It is important that Welsh speaking people have the choice whether to speak Welsh or English with their pharmacist" (96%) and that "It is important to have a Welsh-speaking pharmacist within a Welsh-speaking community" (95%). They would feel more at ease with a Welsh-speaking pharmacist (78%) and felt this service was important if they were worried about a medical condition (69%). Sixty-eight percent felt it was easier to explain their symptoms in Welsh, and while 60% were not familiar with Welsh medical terms, 54% sometimes struggled to find the right English word to explain something to the pharmacist. The respondents’ experiences showed that 39% usually used Welsh in the pharmacy and 56% used both Welsh and English. However, for some respondents, their preferred language was not always used: of those who used just English on their last pharmacy visit, 68% stated that this was because they had no choice and none of them used English as a result of their own preference. Discussion Language choice is important to Welsh-speakers when using the community pharmacy. While the majority understand English, many feel more comfortable discussing their medical problems in their first language. Unfortunately this option is not always possible for patients. Pharmacists working in bilingual areas need to be especially aware of the linguistic needs and preferences of their clients. This study explored an important issue at the patient-pharmacist interface, and has opened up a number of avenues for further research. References
Presented at the HSRPP Conference 2005, Reading
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