Pharmacies will now provide New Yorkers who don't speak English, information about their medication in their own languages, thanks to an agreement between the Office of the New York Attorney General and the companies that dispense the medications, which was announced at a press conference yesterday.

"They have to understand the information about their medication, it's a question of life or death," Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said yesterday at the conference.

Wal-Mart, Target, Duane Reade, Costco, A&P, CVS, and Rite Aid, among other chains, have a period of one month in which to implement the system that will provide oral information about medicine in the language a client speaks, either through the employees, or through translation services over the phone.

"Now they have to train their personnel so they know how to use the translation lines. Medication is a very serious issue and nobody should have doubts," said Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice Mylan Denerstein.

"The second phase will be the written translation of instructions into Spanish, Italian, French, Russian, and Chinese. This is a technological challenge and that is why they have until March 2010," Denerstein added.

The agreement came into being after an investigation conducted by advocacy organizations, such as Make the Road New York, of lawsuits brought on as a result of the businesses practices of pharmacies in the state.

"The most important thing is that consumers inform us if pharmacies don't provide them with translation services," said Elizabeth de Leon, the assistant deputy counsel.

"Medication can save us or kills us," said Catalina Martín, a Mexican woman who had problems understanding the instructions for an antibiotic, and testified to the need for translating instructions.

María Elena Khochaiche, from Colombian, and Julián Nuñez, a Dominican, explained how they have to insist that staff in pharmacies provide them with information in Spanish.

"One has to be aware that what they give us is the correct medicine and that the medicine isn't going to make us sick," said Khochaiche.

In response to a question regarding the cost of translation for the customer, Spencer Freedman, of the Counsel for Civil Rights at New York Attorney General's office, said, "Clients won't have to pay for it because it's part of the service obligation, it's a business investment."

In a telephone interview with El Diario/La Prensa, Erick Harkreader, a spokesperson for Rite Aid, said, "We have been providing this service to our clients since this past November." When asked about the cost of translation he said, "We are not charging people who request the service."

Other pharmacies did not return our calls before closing.