February 9, 2022, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 185 sponsored by Representatives Thai, Cody, Gregerson, Macri,
Santos, Slatter, Valdez, Pollet, and Riccelliwas passed by the Washington House.
This
bill will require the Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission to create
rules for pharmacies to provide dual language prescription labels for at
least the 15 most commonly spoken languages in Washington and rules for
providing audible, large print and Braille prescription labels for
those who are visually impaired.
Even before the bill was proposed
the Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission was already discussing
similar rulemaking for pharmacies. The bill will provide some perimeters
and deadlines to guide them through the process.
At the
January 17th House Health Care and Wellness hearing the committee chair,
Rep. Cody said: "When these students brought this issue to me and
discussed it, I was embarrassed to realize our current law had not taken
this into effect. We already paid for and made sure providers have
language translators, but it never occurred to me that when they go down
to the pharmacy they don't get their drugs in a language they
understand. And I think it is a miracle we haven't had more people die
from getting their prescriptions that they are not able to read."
Other
legislators and physicians testified about their own personal
experience when only a child with limited understanding of English and
medical information being asked to translate for parents or family
members.
The bill passed the House 64-32 (with 2 excused) out of
the House. It will now proceed to the Senate which had it's own version
of the bill SB5840 sponsored by Senator Keiser.
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