Note: Bills with strike through mean they were not passed but were included
in history for reference. Bills in italic are still pending in
committee.
1973: Rehabilitation Act
banned discrimination on the basis of disability by recipients of federal funds
1977: Section 504 regulations were issued. It is
these regulations which form the basis of the ADA
1990: Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law
2003: Medicare
Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. This Act required the DHHS to
study how to make prescription pharmaceutical information, including drug
labels and usage instructions, accessible for the blind and low vision. The
DHHS formulated study questions and the AFB responded with information about
the blind population, access to prescription information, and existing and
emerging technologies. They made some
recommendations that the National Eye Health Education Program conduct an
education program and publish materials letting patients and pharmacies know
about assistive technologies and modalities for accessing prescription drug
information. The NEHEP director, Neyal Ammary-Risch says that they never
performed this work due to budget cuts and because the AFB published some
really good information to their website and worked with the Pharmaceutical
industry to create standards regarding labels (this occurred in 2012).
2004: Veterans Administration Announced
the Standardization of Audible Prescription Reading Devices with ScripTalk as the
standard.
2009: Indiana HB1627
introduced to require Braille or recorded audio device for prescription
labels. Engrossed. No further action.
2009: Massachusetts Senate
Bill 445 introduced An Act Relative to Coverage for Prescription
Drug Voice Synthesizers. No further action.
2010: Indiana HB1240
introduced various insurance matters
including language for accessible prescription drug labeling. House Engrossed. No further action.
2010: ADA Amendments
provided detailed and clarified instructions on how public
accommodations—specifically citing pharmacies—must provide auxiliary aids and
services to blind or low-vision customers in order to provide effective
communication. The new language goes on specifically to list large-print
materials, Braille materials, and accessible electronic and information
technology as recommended solutions.
2012: Indiana House Bill 1301 introduced bill to provide tax credit for
pharmacies piloting incorporation of assistive technologies into packaging of
prescriptions for blind or visually impaired. No further action.
2012: Food and Drug
Administration Safety and Innovation Act
- February
2012: HR 4087 sponsor, Congressman Edward J.
Markey D-Mass
- June
26, 2012: Senate passes S3187 Sponsor,
Senator Tom Harken, D-IA
- July
9, 2012: Signed by President Barack Obama
- January
2015: Senator Markey requests feedback from major
pharmacies on their progress of implementing “Best Practices
- December
9, 2016 Government Accountability Office
reports: “Actions Needed to Increase Awareness of Best Practices for Accessible
Labels for Individuals Who are Blind or Visually Impaired” http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-115
- July
10, 2013: United States Access Board releases “Best Practices”
- National
Council of Disability creates brochure. Full education campaign unfunded so not
completed.
2016: Affordable Care Act Section
1557 Nondiscrimination in Health
Programs and Activities final rule issued.
§ 92.202 Effective
communication for individuals with disabilities.
A covered entity must
provide auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities free of
charge and in a timely manner when necessary to ensure an equal opportunity to participate
and benefit from the entity’s health programs or activities.
2016
Government Accountability Office reports: “Actions
Needed to Increase Awareness of Best Practices for Accessible Labels for
Individuals Who are Blind or Visually Impaired”
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-115
2017 Nevada
SB 131 Requires pharmacies to tell customers that audible prescription
reader is available. Enacted into Law
2018 Ohio HB 659 Engrossed. No further action.
2019 Oregon HB 2935
Requires pharmacies to notify and provide patients with audible prescription
labels Enacted Into Law.
2019 Pennsylvania HB 125 require
pharmacies to make accessible prescription drug container labels available to
individuals who are deaf blind and visually-impaired when requested. No further action.
2019 Massachusetts S1252 legislation
relative to accessible prescription labeling. No further action.
2019 Ohio HB 214 shall notify the person
purchasing the drug that a prescription reader can be made available. If that
person requests a prescription reader,the terminal distributor shall provide a
prescription reader forat least the duration of the prescription. In Health
Committee
2020 Minnesota SF 3152 and HF3370 requiring pharmacists to dispense a
prescription using an
audible
container label or braille container label. In Committees.