ADHD Medication in Malta Causes Concern as Leaflets Lack English Translations

A growing number of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients in Malta are expressing concern over medication leaflets not being available in English. patients receiving Mefeda, a stimulant and generic alternative to Concerta, through the Pharmacy of your Choice (POYC) scheme, have reported that the provided patient information is exclusively in Croatian.

Language Barrier Creates Confusion for ADHD Patients

Several parents and young adults diagnosed with ADHD have voiced their frustration. One mother stated that after her son was switched to Mefeda, she discovered the leaflet contained no English information. This has raised concerns about understanding potential side effects,especially given that most medications in Malta are legally required to have English patient information.

Did You Know? ADHD affects approximately 5% of children and 2.5% of adults worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The irony is not lost on patients, as the croatian phrase “Pažljivo pročitajte” on the leaflet translates to “Read carefully.” This is arduous to do without understanding the language.

Government Response and Brexit Impact

While Maltese law mandates that all distributed medicines be authorized by the Medicines authority and include English product literature, exceptions can be made for public health reasons.A Health Ministry spokesperson confirmed that Mefeda has been granted such an exemption to ensure continuous medication provision.

The ministry attributes the issue to procurement difficulties exacerbated by Brexit, stating that securing bidders for English-language medications has been severely impacted. The Central Procurement and Supplies Unit (CPSU) manages medication procurement, and the availability of specific languages varies.

Pro Tip: Patients can request translated leaflets from their pharmacist or by emailing the POYC. See contact info below.

alternative Solutions and Ongoing Challenges

The Health Ministry claims that officially translated English leaflets for Mefeda do exist,but they are not automatically distributed with the medication. Rather, pharmacies participating in the POYC scheme receive these leaflets as email attachments.

Patients needing English information are advised to request it from their community pharmacist or by contacting the POYC directly. However, pharmacists lament that printing these multi-page documents for every patient is impractical and costly.

To address this, the ministry is developing a mobile app for patients to access medication literature on their phones. However, this solution does not cater to individuals who are not technologically proficient or prefer physical copies.

In the meantime, patients continue to receive ADHD medication without readily available English instructions.

Contact Information

Patients can email POYC to receive a copy of the medicine information leaflet in English: [email protected]

Questions for Our Readers

What are your thoughts on the accessibility of medication information in different languages? How can governments better support patients with language barriers in healthcare?