Texas Bill to Help Seniors with Medications

 

Texas's Senate Bill 2470 focuses on prescription labeling standards that would help senior citizens be able to read their prescription labels and drug information more easily.  SB2470 would expect pharmacies to provide patients with low vision:

• a format accessible to the patient through a mobile internet application or assistive technology electronic device available to the patient at no cost 
• labels in plain language and printed in a minimum of Times New Roman 12 point font and/or a 
• large print data sheet with the label information, side effects and contraindicated medications.

The bill came forward as a result of the Texas Silver Haired Legislature's Resolution SL10.  This resolution is one of their top 10 legislative priorities designed to help senior citizens in Texas.  Learn more about the TSHL Legislative report in this post: https://www.staysaferx.org/2025/02/texas-silver-haired-legislatureresoluti.html  

Six Talking Points on the Importance of State Laws

The Importance of State Laws

Prescription labels are a critical component of healthcare, providing essential information about medication usage, dosage, and potential side effects. However, for many individuals, these labels can be difficult to understand due to language barriers, visual impairments, or other accessibility issues. Implementing state laws to ensure accessible and translated prescription labels is crucial for several reasons.

1) Regulatory Context

It is important to note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the format of patient prescription labels. Instead, each state's board of pharmacy is tasked with this responsibility. This decentralized approach means that there can be significant variability in labeling standards across different states. State laws mandating accessible and translated prescription labels can help create more uniform standards, ensuring that all patients receive clear and understandable medication information regardless of where they live.

2) Enhancing Patient Safety

One of the primary reasons for state laws mandating accessible and translated prescription labels is to enhance patient safety. Misunderstanding prescription instructions can lead to medication errors, which can have serious or even fatal consequences. For instance, taking the wrong dosage or misunderstanding the frequency of medication can result in overdoses or ineffective treatment. By providing labels in multiple languages and accessible formats, patients are more likely to understand how to take their medications correctly, reducing the risk of errors.

3) Promoting Health Equity & Health Literacy

Health equity is another significant reason for implementing these laws. In a diverse society, many patients may not speak English as their first language. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 67 million people in the United States speak a language other than English at home. Without translated prescription labels, these individuals may struggle to understand their medication instructions, leading to disparities in healthcare outcomes. Health Literacy means having access to and being able to understand the information needed to make health care decisions for one's self. State laws requiring translated and accessible labels can help bridge this gap, ensuring that all patients have equal access to medication label information.

4) Supporting Vulnerable Populations

Accessible prescription labels are particularly important for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and those with disabilities. Older adults often have multiple prescriptions and may have difficulty reading small print due to age-related vision loss. Similarly, individuals with disabilities, such as visual impairments or cognitive challenges, may find standard prescription labels difficult to read or comprehend. State laws mandating accessible formats, such as large print, braille, or audio labels, can help these individuals manage their medications more effectively and maintain their health.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

From a legal and ethical standpoint, providing accessible and translated prescription labels aligns with the principles of patient rights and informed consent. Patients have the right to understand the medications they are taking and the potential risks and benefits associated with them. Ensuring that prescription labels are accessible and understandable is a fundamental aspect of respecting patient autonomy and promoting informed decision-making. State laws can help standardize these practices, ensuring that all healthcare providers adhere to these ethical principles.

Economic Benefits

There are also economic benefits to implementing state laws for accessible and translated prescription labels. Medication errors and adverse drug events can lead to increased healthcare costs due to additional treatments, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits. By reducing the incidence of these errors through clearer and more understandable prescription labels, healthcare systems can save money and allocate resources more efficiently. Additionally, improved medication adherence resulting from better understanding of prescription instructions can lead to better health outcomes and reduced long-term healthcare costs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, state laws mandating accessible and translated prescription labels are essential for enhancing patient safety, promoting health equity, supporting vulnerable populations, and upholding legal and ethical standards. These laws can also provide economic benefits by reducing healthcare costs associated with medication errors. By ensuring that all patients have access to clear and understandable prescription information, we can create a more inclusive and effective healthcare system.

NFB of Missouri Press Release

Members of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri Will Convene in Jefferson City in Support of Its 2025 Legislative Priorities

Agenda Stresses the Need for Improved Accessibility

 St. Louis, Missouri (February 7, 2025): On February 11 and 12 members of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri will be in Jefferson City to promote the legislative priorities of blind Missourians. “Our 2025 legislative agenda highlights the need for improved accessibility,” said Shelia Wright, President of the NFB of Missouri. Deaf/blind Missourians face unique challenges and as such require specialized help in communicating their needs with other people. We therefore urge the legislature to increase funding for the state’s Support Service Provider program so that more deaf/blind individuals can take advantage of this service. Healthcare accessibility is also important to Blind Missourians, and as such, we welcome the opportunity to work with the legislature to ensure that we have access to prescription labels that can be accessed non-visually. The third issue we bring to the legislature this year has to do with removing the requirement that the letters advising Blind Missourians of their need to re-certify for the Blind Pension not be sent through certified mail. The state of Missouri can save money on administering this program, and it would make it easier for Blind Missourians to respond to these letters.”

 The Support Service Provider program currently receives a maximum of $300,000 annually through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). There are currently 80 consumers in the program who have limited service hours (13 per month at best), and more deaf/blind individuals on the waiting list who cannot receive services due to insufficient funding. With an increase to $600,000 annually, the program would be able to accept the consumers on the waiting list, provide sufficient SSP hours for consumers (average of 10 weekly), train consumers and SSP's on how to use the program, and pay for IT systems needed to manage and administer the program.

 Taking medication as prescribed is an essential aspect of remaining healthy. This can only be done right if one has medication that is clearly labeled and instructions provided, and for too many blind and low-vision people, this is not currently the case. Technology is available to create prescription labels that provide audible, Braille, or large-print output to ensure that everyone knows what medications they are taking. This technology allows pharmacy staff to run the prescription bottles through a label maker to make the label accessible based on the blind persons needs. We therefore support legislation that gives guidance to pharmacies for making prescription labels accessible to enhance the health and safety of all Missourians.

 We also support legislation that seeks to exclude the word "certified" from the legislation governing the Blind Pension. Many blind Missourians have experienced significant hardship due to receiving correspondence via certified mail. For this reason, the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri strongly endorses this legislation as presented.

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About the National Federation of the Blind

 The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB 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. 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 www.nfb.org.

CONTACT:
Randy Carmack, Public Relations Chair
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
(314) 239-2947
rcarmack@nfbmo.org