PSA launches latest medicine safety report calling for more support for multicultural communities

1 August 2026

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has today launched the eighth edition of its Medicine Safety series, Medicine Safety: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community Care, calling for a suite of new measures to ensure fairer and safer access to medicines.  

 

Launching the report, PSA National President, Professor Mark Naunton MPS, said: 

 

“Medicine safety is our highest priority, and no Australian should experience medicines-related harm because of the language they speak, the culture they hold or their ability to access and navigate healthcare services safely,” said Prof Mark Naunton MPS, PSA National President.   

 

“As a pharmacist, I have seen firsthand how easily misunderstandings can occur when patients are unable to access medicines information in a language they understand.  

 

“What might seem like a minor communication barrier can affect how medicines are taken, how side effects are recognised and ultimately whether treatment is safe and effective.”  

 

The PSA is calling for five key measures to be adopted:  

• A national policy to support routine use of professional interpreters (and other culturally appropriate communication tools)  

• Targeted strategies to increase Home Medicines Reviews including culturally tailored referral pathways and community engagement  

• An expansion of national health data to include key cultural indicators such as English proficiency and languages spoken at home  

• Investment in multilingual medicine information on topics such as dosing instructions  

• Integrate cultural and medicine safety into pharmacist education and practice.  

 

“Navigating our complex health system is challenging and it is significantly more difficult for Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who, as a result, face a higher risk of medicine-related harm,” said Prof Naunton.  

 

“We are confident that adopting these sensible measures at the policy-making table will make an immediate difference to the frontline care pharmacists provide across the nation.” 

 

The Medicine Safety: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community Care report can be viewed here. 

 

 

Media contact: Leah Jacobsen 

E: leah.jacobsen@psa.org.au or media@psa.org.au 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the only national peak body that represents all of Australia’s pharmacists across all practice settings. We want every Australian to have access to the best health care, and this must include optimising access to pharmacists’ knowledge and medicines expertise at the forefront of our healthcare system.