RPS Pharma Scene #21 - Breaking down language barriers in Pharmacy

With Ghalib Khan of Written Medicine

In episode 21 of our RPS Pharma Scene podcast, Pharmacist Ghalib Khan tells us about his innovative pharmacy software, Written Medicine, which helps to break down language barriers between pharmacists and patients. 

Ghalib set up Written Medicine because he believes it is crucial to improve the quality of the information provided to patients from ethnic minorities whose second language is English.

He speaks to Parastou Donyai, RPS Chief Scientist, of his own struggles to be understood and how this inspired him to create and promote the software.

If you are concerned that your patients struggle to understand how to correctly use and make the most of their medicines, then listen to Ghalib's story!

About Ghalib

Ghalib Khan is a pharmacist who founded Written Medicine, which enables healthcare professionals to provide personalised medication information in patients' preferred format and language.

Ghalib grew up surrounded by communication barriers, both in the pharmacies he worked in and at home. His grandmother was deaf/mute from birth, his mother speaks English with limited ability, his eldest son has Down Syndrome and severe hearing loss, and Ghalib himself has dyslexia and dyspraxia.

Growing up in an ethnically diverse area of London, Ghalib met a diverse array of patients from different socio-economic backgrounds, and with unique communication needs and cultural backgrounds. It was home to one of the largest socioeconomic, health and life expectancy divides in the UK and these intersectional experiences led directly to his idea to create a digital evidence-based information accessibility tool.

Written Medicine began in 2012, and has been funded by NHSx & supported by Bradford CCG. It is used in four NHS Trusts and in community pharmacies around London.

Ghalib is a Fellow of the NHS Innovation Accelerator also a Trustee of the charity MIEM (Medical Information for Ethnic Minorities), and provides support for parents with children with Down Syndrome in accessing their non-means assessed benefits from DWP, housing and help fill out DWP forms for those with language barriers.