About our Blog...

On Stay Safe Rx you will find current events and resources advocating for safe prescription labeling practices. When patients struggle to see, read or understand their prescription labels they are more likely to take the wrong medication, take it improperly, or not take it at all. Pharmacies can make prescription labels more accessible by incorporating dual-language, audible, large print, Braille, plain language, and user-friendly designs. Check out the resources in the side bar to assist your own advocacy efforts or browse through posts to see what others are working on or have achieved.

Equitable Healthcare Through Language Access in Kansas

a diverse group of individuals pose for a group photo in front of a colorful wall

Earlier this year Alce Su Voz published "Enhancing Infrastructure for Equitable Healthcare Language Access Services in Kansas." This white paper gives insight into the current state of language access in Kansas hospitals and proposes several actions that state agencies.  Its suggestions and framework on how to improve language access in Kansas serves as a model for other states as well.

Here are some of the suggestions:

  • Support development of institutional language access policy and procedures
  • Provide reimbursed for interpreting services that are not covered under the MCOs,
  • Assess the accessibility and quality of the interpreting services funded by the MCOs
  • Gather data on needs and demographics using local health departments
  • Create culturally-responsive educational materials
  • Promoting the availability in the community of language access services at health
  • fairs and community events
  • Educate healthcare providers on the unique needs of specific cultural and linguistic groups present in their region
  • Oversee state Medicaid and contracted MCOs compliance with the new Section 1557 regulations including Section 1557 coordinators, information in the top fifteen languages, and providing qualified interpreters.
  • Expand outreach to Medicaid enrollees about the availability of language services
  • Provide financial support for interpreter training and certification
  • Programs to build a statewide workforce of qualified interpreters so jobs stay local,
  • Ensure language access for speakers of less common languages and dialects

Read the full white paper and learn more about Alce Su Voz, their work, and resources here:
https://alcesuvoz.com/2025/02/26/read-our-white-paper/



on

pine branches and pine cone

Thanking Your Evergreen Bill Sponsors

If you find a sponsor and your bill goes nowhere, even multiple years in a row, do not give up hope. Like an evergreen tree, your bill being introduced again and again and your efforts to talk to legislators year after year, is slowly building awareness and a culture of accessibility. The most important thing you can do is thank all your sponsors at the end of the legislative session. 

What was once a novel idea slowly becomes a common place idea, and eventually will seem like something logical that should have been done a long time ago. You will get to the point where people say, "Oh, I thought that was already a law."

Getting a law passed usually requires a lot of preparatory work and several introductions.  Forming relationships, educating legislators, and influencing public opinion over many months or, more often, years, is usual.  

With some exceptions, most states only pass a few hundred of the thousands of bills introduced.  Unless you are in a state with a high passage percentage, you probably should expect to have to try several times to make progress. 

Sometimes more pressing priorities are to blame, for example, a lot of bills during COVID were put on the back burner as states rushed to pass appropriations and health safety laws. In 2025 we see a lot of states trying to shore up certain rights and appropriations that are effected by federal regulation changes.

Other times party politics are at play. A majority may simply not allow a minority sponsored bill to get to committee.  Finding another sponsor may or may not be the right solution.  If your sponsor is offended they could end up actively working against your bill when introduced by someone else. You might be able to find out who they work well with on the majority side or find a majority member to introduce a mirroring bill in the other chamber.

No matter what happens, relationship building is key and thanking your sponsors, regardless of outcome, is the best relationship builder you can perform! Use your thank you note to remind them of the importance of the cause and your hope that they will continue to pursue it in the following year.  If there was a particularly meaningful conversation or testimony, comment on what that did for you and the cause. Make them feel good about the work they did and present opportunities for future involvement with your organization or events.

Don't forget to thank your grassroot members too!  Their calls always help to build awareness and support.  

 

 

 

on

Reprint of NFB Colorado Press Release

  

  

ACCESSIBLE PRESCRIPTION LABELS
THE LAW OF THE LAND IN COLORADO

The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, through its statewide office and local chapters, is eager to work with local pharmacies to help in the implementation of Colorado's accessible prescription labels law, HB24-1115. Starting July 1, 2025, pharmacies in Colorado are required to provide patients who have difficulty seeing or reading standard labels on a prescription drug container with an accessible method to read the information on the prescription drug label free of cost to the patient.

A system called ScripTalk, available from En-Vision America, places critical prescription drug information onto an RFID label that can be read out loud, either with a talking smartphone or an easy-to-operate, dedicated reading device that reads and speaks the information on the RFID label. Compared to other systems, ScripTalk is the simplest to operate and the most universally accessible. Smartphone users find ScripTalk to provide the broadest accessibility. For example, for someone who cannot hear what is spoken, the smartphone can also send spoken information to a connected refreshable Braille display. For customers who do not use a smartphone, the same information is also available using a dedicated reading device that is available to the customer on indefinite loan. This reading device is easy to learn and use.

The ScriptAbility suite of software is the heart of the system that enables pharmacies to produce accessible labels. The suite encompasses Audible, Dual Language/Translation, Large Print, Controlled Substance Safety (CSSL) and Braille labels. It is an all-in-one interface that requires minimal setup. Contact ScriptAbility at 800-890-1180.

There is an up-front cost to pharmacies to acquire and integrate the technology that creates accessible RFID prescription labels. The Colorado Department of Health and Environment operates the Prescription Accessibility Grant Program, which can award up to $1,500 to individual pharmacies. Information is available online by searching Google for "Prescription Accessibility Grant Program." To answer additional questions about this grant program or to obtain assistance, please email Maisey Lyons de Valle at maisey.lyonsdevalle@state.co.us.

Members of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado stand ready to help pharmacies and their customers to make effective use of the ScripTalk system. Our blind members can contact patients and walk them through the use of the ScripTalk app or the ScripTalk reader. We also would welcome the chance to visit pharmacies throughout Colorado and offer free demonstrations to everyone who has an interest in ScripTalk.

For further information, contact me:

 Jessica Beecham, President

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado
2233 West Shepperd Avenue
Littleton, Colorado 80120
Phone: 303-778-1130, Extension 219
Email: JBBeecham@gmail.com

 

Outreach Ideas:

  1. Hand carry the flyer to our pharmacy.
  2. Hand carry the flyer to our doctors and dentists.
  3. Email the flyer to our doctors and dentists.
  4. Hand carry the flyer to our local Senior centers and facilities. Ask them to post it on their bulletin boards and ask to speak at any meetings at the centers to educate and explain what access to prescriptions means.
  5. Submit the flyer or an article based on the flyer to 55 plus community newsletters.
  6. Hand carry the flyer to organizations, non-profit organizations, and government programs that work with non-English speaking populations.
  7. Hand carry the flyer to Urgent Care facilities.
  8. Ask our pharmacies to let us have a table for a few hours to show off our ScripTalk and other options.
  9. Email the flyer to our “sighted” friends and family who may need a little more help reading the prescription labels on their medications.
  10. Reach out to the deafblind community about the new law and provide information about how people who are deafblind can get Braille information from the ScripTalk system even though speech is the primary way in which it provides information.
  11. Send the flyer to other disability advocates.
  12. Send the flyer to our state legislators.
  13. Send the flyer to independent living centers and other Assisted Living facilities.
  14. Send and hand carry the flyer to Immigration Assistance programs.
  15. Send the flyer to our city council members and mayor and ask to present at the next city council meeting.
  16. Bring the flyer to your church and ask for it to be distributed to all parishioners.

 

on
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)