Texas Silver Haired Legislature:Resolution SL10, PRIORITY #9

The Texas state Silver-Haired Legislature was established by the Texas legislature to assist in assessing the needs of seniors in Texas and propose future legislation.  The legislators represent each Area Agency on Aging geographic region. The Silver-Haired Legislature develops resolutions and  prioritizes them.  The top ten priorities are presented to the Texas House and Senate members. In 2024 Resolution SL10 on Improving Prescription Drug Labeling was assigned Priority #9.  The text of the resolution is below.  You can also read full legislative report. 

 

 

Texas Silver Haired Legislature:Resolution SL10, PRIORITY #9

By: Charles Isaac, Wayne Merrill, Elgin Davis, Mary Pat Smith, John L. Johnson,

Improve Prescription Drug Labeling for Older Texans

A RESOLUTION TO: Assist visually-impaired and print-disabled older Texans by increasing the font size on prescription labels and drug data sheets.

WHEREAS, Prescription drugs significantly contribute to addressing health issues and improving life quality and expectancy. However, inadequate labeling and unreadable data sheets have led to ineffective treatment and/or harmful outcomes, particularly among the visually-impaired and print-disabled older Texans; and

WHEREAS, A Canadian study of drug labeling practices reported that legibility of medicine labels “is an issue of concern to individual pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.” The study pointed out that a combination of larger print, a consistent layout, left justification, and overall lowercase lettering with uppercase lettering for numbers in the instructions gives increased accessibility to patient-critical information; and

WHEREAS, Legislation is needed to mandate increased font size on prescription labels to a minimum of 12 pt Times New Roman, to require pharmacies to provide large-print data sheets upon request, or to incorporate accessible prescription labels and instructions (including dosing, potential side-effects, and contraindicated medications) that are readable via smartphone apps or no-cost-to-customer standalone readers such as Script Talk; now, therefore, be it 

RESOLVED, That the 20th Texas Silver-Haired Legislature recommends that the 89th Texas legislature amends the Texas Health and Safety Code, Title VI, Subtitle A, to require accessible labeling for prescriptions provided to visually-impaired and/or print-disabled individuals in Texas. 

PASSED AND APPROVED on April 5, 2024, by the Health and Human Services Committee.

PASSED AND APPROVED on May 6, 2024, by the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature

Rea Barry, Chair

Sherry Hubbard, Speaker

Patricia Gleason-Wynn, Secretary

Empowering Change: Lobbying for Labeling Laws

 

Image by Freepik

Imagine a world where everyone, regardless of their visual or cognitive abilities, can safely and independently access their medication label information to make health and medication related decisions. This vision can become a reality through accessible prescription labeling laws. 

The Current Challenge

For millions of people with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities, reading standard prescription labels is a daily struggle. This can lead to medication errors, which are not only dangerous but also preventable. Accessible prescription labeling laws ensure that everyone has the information they need in a format they can understand.

Why It Matters

1. Safety First: Clear and accessible labels can prevent medication errors, ensuring that individuals take the right medication, the right way, at the right time.
2. Independence: Accessible labels empower people to manage their health independently, boosting their confidence and quality of life and allowing them to live in the community setting longer.
3. Equality: Equal access to information to make healthcare decisions is a human right. 

How You Can Help

Lobbying for accessible prescription labeling laws is a powerful way to make a difference. Here's how you can get involved:

1. Educate Yourself: Learn about the current laws and the gaps that need to be filled. Knowledge is power!
2. Raise Awareness: Share information about the importance of accessible labeling on social media, in community groups, and with friends and family.
3. Contact Your Representatives: Write to your state representatives and state board of pharmacy. Let them know why accessible prescription labeling is important to you and your community.
4. Join Advocacy Groups: Connect with organizations that are already working towards this goal. Your support can amplify their efforts.

Political Determinants of Health

In his article "Health Justice Can't Be Blind" Daniel E. Dawes, JD. writes: "it is actually the political determinants of health that provide us with the greatest opportunity to not only ameliorate the disparities that we have long struggled with, but do so in a just and durable fashion."  Health justice begins with policies that lead to equal opportunity to attain one's full health potential.

Conclusion

Accessible prescription labeling is not just a necessity; it is a civil right. By lobbying for these laws, you are advocating for a safer, more inclusive world. Your voice can drive change. These laws help ensure that everyone has the tools they need to manage their health with confidence and dignity.

 2025 Legislatures Up and Running...

More than ever people are realizing how important it is to have laws and policies ensconced in state statue so they can continue to be enforced even when federal rules fluctuate from term to term.  FDA rules specifying how drug manufactures need to label wholesale containers have been in place for decades however, there has never been specific rules for the consumer side.  Prescription container label information is determined by individual state boards of pharmacy. 

This year we see several more states introducing legislation to codify in state statute how pharmacies are to accommodate their blind and visually impaired consumers with accessible prescription labeling.

New York S1740 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1740

Utah HB123 https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0123.html 

Missouri HB360 https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB360&year=2025&code=R

Most likely Ohio, Iowa, and Michigan will also re-introduce bills that didn't make the cut off deadlines last session. We will keep you posted!