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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.

Sample Legislation and List of Bills and Laws

Map of United States showing the progress of legislation and/or rulemaking

Model Bill

(1) A pharmacy shall notify each person to whom a prescription drug is dispensed that an accessible/translated prescription label is available to the person upon request at no additional cost.

(2) If a person informs the pharmacy that the person identifies as a person who is blind, low vision, otherwise print disabled, or limited English proficient the pharmacy shall provide to the person an accessible prescription label affixed to the bottle that is:

(a) Available to the person in a timely manner comparable to other patient wait time and lasting for at least the duration of the prescription; and

(b) Appropriate to the disability, preference and language of the person making the request through use of audible, large print, Braille or translated labels; and

(c) Conforms to the format specific best practices established by the United States Access Board and National CLAS Standards; and

(d) Contains all the label information required by state statute and federal law including cautions, warnings and any information available to sighted, English proficient individuals reading the printed label.

(3) A pharmacy shall ensure that the prescription label is compatible with the prescription reader if a reader is provided.

(4) The requirements of this section do not apply to prescription drugs both dispensed and administered by an institutional pharmacy.

(5) “Prescription reader” means a device that is designed to audibly convey the information contained on the label of a prescription drug.

(6) An "Institutional pharmacy" means a pharmacy that is part of or is operated in conjunction with any of the following health care facilities: hospital, ambulatory surgical facility, nursing home, residential care facility, freestanding rehabilitation facility, hospice care program, home and community-based services provider, residential facility for individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities, or any similar health care facility.

(7) Appropriation and/or establishment of a grant program to assist independent pharmacies with the cost of implementing this bill.  

(8) The board of pharmacy shall promulgate regulations necessary to implement this section

Laws/Regulations Passed (alphabetical order)

California  Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill AB1902 (2024)  

Colorado Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill HB24-1115 (2024) 

Florida Board of Pharmacy Regulations  64B16—28.108  (2023) 

Hawaii Accessible Prescription Labeling Law  HB218 (2023);  SB608 (2023) 

Maine Translation and Interpretation in Hospitals Education Campaign (including pharmacy)  LD430(2023)  

Maryland Accessible Prescription Labeling Law  HB456 (2023);   SB 0940 (2023) 

Minnesota Accessible Prescription Labeling included in Omnibus SB4699/HF4571  See line 1144.31 of  HF5247 (2024)

Nevada Audible Labeling Law: SB131(2017)   Dual Language Labeling Law: AB177 (2021) 

Ohio Board of Pharmacy rules 4729:5-2-05 (2023). Requires pharmacies to report the type of services offered for those who are limited English Proficient, deaf, hard of hearing, low vision or blind to be included in an online directory.

Oregon Audible Labeling Law: HB2935 (2019); Dual Language Labeling Law: SB698 (2019)

Puerto Rico Audible Labeling Law PS0287 (2023)

Tennessee  Accessible Prescription Labeling Law:  SB 1859/HB 1999 (2022) 

Washington Dual Language Bills are Sine Die but the Board of Pharmacy, seeing the need, initiated Rulemaking without a law directing them to.   HB 1852 (2022);   SB 5840 (2022)

Virginia Translated Prescription Label Instructions Study Group. HB2147 (2023); Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill HB516 (2024)

 

Other Bills Introduced (red indicates active legislation)

Colorado Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill HB20-1090 (2020)  (see also above 2024 bill which passed)

Illinois Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill HB5055 (2024) 

Indiana HB1627 (2009); HB1240 (2010); Indiana House Bill 1301 (2011)

Iowa Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill SF2022 (2024)

Massachusetts Audible Labeling Bills: S658(2021); S1420(2021); S1252(2019)

Minnesota  Accessible Prescription Labeling SF 2266 (2023);  HF 2430 (2023);  SF 4038 (2021) ;  HF 4481 (2021) (see above passed legislation)

Missouri  Accessible Prescription Labeling bills:  HB2750 (2024) ; HB 80 (2023) ; HB 685 (2023); HB 812 (2023);  HB 2783 (2022);  HB 2834 (2022)

Nevada Amendments to Dual Language Law AB251 (2023)

Ohio Audible Labeling and Insurance Coverage Bill:HB 382 (2024); HB 448 (2021) ; HB 214 (2019)

Oklahoma  Dual Language Bill  HB2419 (2023) 

Pennsylvania Accessible Labeling Bill HB89 (2021), S1253 (2019)

Puerto Rico Insurance dispensation fee reimbursement PS1190 (2024)

 

 

 

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