Medical Spanish in Pharmacy Education: A Call to Action.

The Spanish-speaking population in the United States is large, growing, and diverse. There is an increasing need for pharmacists to be linguistically and culturally equipped to provide safe and effective care to this population. Therefore, pharmacy educators should help prepare and train students for this responsibility.

Perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines in a predominantly Hispanic patient population from the Texas-Mexico border.

Background: Compared with nationwide averages, Hispanic individuals have experienced lower routine vaccination rates and have been disproportionately hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Few, if any, studies have examined the health beliefs surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines and adult vaccines among this population.

Objectives: This study aimed to (1) describe perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines in a predominantly Hispanic patient population in a federally qualified health center (FQHC) situated on the United States-Mexico border and (2) compare patient confidence in recommendations made by local clinic and government to obtain adult and COVID-19 vaccines.

Medication literacy in Spanish and English: psychometric evaluation of a new assessment tool.

Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of a newly developed Medication Literacy Assessment in Spanish and English (MedLitR xSE).

Design: Descriptive, nonexperimental, cross-sectional study.

Setting: El Paso, TX, from December 2006 to June 2009.

Medication use practices and perceptions among patients in a U.S.-Mexico border community.

Objective: To identify themes surrounding medication use practices and perceptions among individuals from a U.S.-Mexico border community recruited to participate in focus groups.

Evaluation of smoking cessation behaviors and interventions among Latino smokers at low-income clinics in a US-Mexico border county.

A descriptive study of 94 Latino smokers receiving nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in US-Mexico border clinics in El Paso County, Texas was conducted. A baseline questionnaire and two follow-up telephone surveys (8-12 weeks and 6 months) were administered to evaluate smoking habits, behaviors, and cessation interventions. Participants reported an average daily cigarette consumption of 15 cigarettes and smoked within 30 min of waking (44%).

Cultural competence in health care and its implications for pharmacy. Part 1. Overview of key concepts in multicultural health care.

Pharmacists are caring for more individuals of diverse age, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation, and health beliefs than in previous decades. Not all residents of the United States equally experience long life spans and good health. Health disparities in various cultures have been documented.

Tobacco cessation services through community health workers for Spanish-speaking populations.

Partnerships were established with the University of Arizona's Healthcare Partnership to train promotores--Spanish-speaking community health workers--as tobacco cessation counselors. Tobacco Free El Paso certified promotores to help identify tobacco users and offer tobacco cessation counseling services. The project certified 89 participants, of whom 95% were promotores; 88% were Hispanic/Latino, 67% were females, and 62% indicated Spanish as their primary language.

The use of interleukin-2 in human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Advances in antiretroviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have led to reductions in HIV-related morbidity and mortality. Although antiretroviral therapy has shown success in suppressing viral loads, it does not adequately restore the immune system in all individuals infected with HIV. In light of this incomplete success, interleukin (IL)-2 is being evaluated as adjunctive therapy to antiretroviral therapy.