About our Blog...

On Stay Safe Rx you will find current events and resources advocating for safe prescription labeling practices. Check out the resources in the side bar to assist your own advocacy efforts or browse through posts to see work in progress or achieved.

National Federation of the Blind Press Release

 

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland Commends General Assembly for Requiring Accessible Prescription Labels

New Law Will Enhance Safety and Independence of Blind Marylanders

BALTIMORE, Maryland (May 8, 2023): The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland (NFBMD) applauds the Maryland General Assembly for passing a law that requires pharmacies to provide appropriate access to prescription labels for individuals who are blind or otherwise print disabled. This service will be provided free of charge for patients who need it. The legislation was signed into law yesterday by Governor Wes Moore.

The Maryland Board of Pharmacy is now tasked with creating regulations to enforce the implementation of accessible prescription labels at pharmacies throughout the state, according to the legislation.

This is an initiative that the National Federation of the Blind has supported for some time. The transformative membership organization of blind Americans authored a Model Bill to support the need for accessible prescription label legislation across the states. The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland used this model bill as a stepping stone to work with state legislators to introduce the legislation.

“In a nutshell, as of January 1, 2025, any of us in Maryland should be able to walk into our local pharmacy or call in a prescription, tell them we want accessible labels in Braille or large print or audio, and get those prescriptions with the label type of our choice, at no extra cost to us, in the same timeframe as any other patient,” explained Ronza Othman, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. “I want to particularly thank delegate Michele Guyton and Senator C. Anthony Muse for sponsoring this legislation and seeing it through to passage, and we commend the General Assembly for understanding how critically important this is to blind Marylanders.”

For a copy of the legislation, click here.

###

About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind, headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.

CONTACT
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314, extension 2330
410-262-1281 (cell)
cdanielsen@nfb.org
on

Aloha to Accessible Prescriptions in Hawaii

May 2, 2023 the Hawaii House and Senate both passed legislation requiring pharmacies to provide patients who are blind, visually impaired or print impaired with accessible prescription labels.  The law is now headed to the governor who is expected to sign it

The final version of the bill requires pharmacies to: provide an electronic label affixed to the prescription bottle and/or a prescription drug reader.

Pharmacies must also make sustained, periodic and reasonable efforts to inform the public that accessible label formats are available. 

The Board of Pharmacy will have the ability to grant exemptions to the law for sole proprietorship pharmacies with no more than two pharmacists who can demonstrate it would be a financial burden. The Board can also deny, revoke, or suspend a pharmacy license or impose a fine of up to $1000 per violation for failure to comply.

The law goes into effect July 1, 2023 and the Board of Pharmacy has until December 31, 2024 to finalize the rules and regulations for full implementation and enforcement. 

To see full text of the law:  https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/HB218_CD1_.HTM

on

Florida Board of Pharmacy Adds Procedure Manual Requirement for Fully Informing Visually Impaired Patients

 Board Seal

UPDATE:  The 64B16—28.108 rule revision went into effect on July 18, 2023.
 
On April 13, 2023 the Florida Board of Pharmacy voted unanimously to revise code 64B16—28.108 regarding Labels and Labeling of Medicinal Drugs to require pharmacies to include how they will accommodate blind and visually impaired patients as part of their policy and procedures manual. 
 
The additional language was drafted by the Board's Counsel in response to a request by the National Federation of the Blind of Florida to consider rulemaking to require accessible prescription labels.
 
The board determined that to really create specific requirements, they need a legislative change.  If they attempted to create rules exacting specific requirements the financial report phase would probably take longer than if legislation was passed.  Still, they expressed an understanding of the need for pharmacies to accommodate their blind and visually impaired patients and added the clause to remind pharmacies to have a policy in place:  

64B16—28.108 All Permits – Labels and Labeling of Medicinal Drugs.
Each container of medicinal drugs dispensed shall have a label or shall be accompanied by labeling. Every pharmacy that dispenses a medicinal drug to a patient or agent of the patient shall ensure that the pharmacy’s policy and procedures manual covers dispensing to the blind or visually impaired. The manual must make certain to address that those with visual  impairments are fully informed of all the information required to be part of the label or labeling
 
Listen to the conversations and read more at: 
 
 
 



on
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)