<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">The public comment time will probably happen earlier because the meeting is going more quickly than expected.<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Marci<br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Mar 1, 2023, at 7:38 PM, Marci Carpenter <<a href="mailto:mjc59@comcast.net" class="">mjc59@comcast.net</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hello everyone,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">This Friday morning the Washington Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (PQAC) will hold a public workshop on a proposed rule requiring alll pharmacies to provide accessible prescription labels. This means that you could get prescription labels in a format that you could read independently. This is a very important issue for the blind community and the NFB of Washington supports this proposed rule. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The meeting will be held via Zoom. Anyone can make comments on this at the workshop and people can also send in written comments. The written comments don’t have to be sent to the Commission by this Friday because this is only the beginning of the process. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Rulemaking by a department of state government is one way that requirements for things can change.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Here are some key points to make in written or in-person comments:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">1. Having accessible prescription labels allows us to take medications safely and independently.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">2. We need prescription labels to be available in audio, braille or large print depending on the needs of blind and low vision people. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">3. All 3 options need to be available at all pharmacies in the state because blind and low vision people live in cities , small towns and rural areas and also because a person’s vision can change so they might need a different format over time.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">4. The technology to make accessible prescription labels is available now.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">5. Accessible prescription labels must be provided at the same time a prescription is filled. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The draft rule that the Commission is currently considering says that these labels will be provided “in a timely Manner”. That language is not specific enough. It leaves open the option for pharmacies to tell customers that it might take a few extra days to get the labels in the format the customer needs. This would be very bad and is already happening with some pharmacies.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">We need you to tell the Commission how important this is for us</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The proposed rule also includes the requirement that prescription labels also be provided in other languages for limited English speakers. The NFB of Washington supports this part of the rule because there are blind people who are also limited English speakers who need labels in their first language and in accessible formats. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">We need you to make your voice heard so the Commission knows how important this is to blind people and we need to tell them what is important to include in their rule-making.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">You can send written comments to <a href="mailto:PharmacyRules@doh.wa.gov" style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class="">PharmacyRules@doh.wa.gov</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class="">. The Commission meeting runs from 9:00 AM to approximately 12:30 PM on Friday and this </span><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class="">item is third on the agenda. Here is the Zoom link they provided: </span></font><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> Zoom: </span><a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDYsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMjguNzI0NDA1MjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3VzMDJ3ZWIuem9vbS51cy9qLzg4MjU2MDAxMjM2In0.2dFIFhljvONhcojxShtqa8wg635WQeG8jx_KBZtX_jM/s/2128614553/br/155266980273-l" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(53, 158, 150);" class="">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88256001236</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> </span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Here is the link to their agenda</span><font face="calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif" size="3" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">: </span></font><strong style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" class="">March 3</strong><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> - </span><a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMjguNzI0NDA1MjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2NvbnRlbnQuZ292ZGVsaXZlcnkuY29tL2F0dGFjaG1lbnRzL1dBRE9ILzIwMjMvMDIvMjgvZmlsZV9hdHRhY2htZW50cy8yNDIyNjcxL01hcmNoJTIwMywlMjAyMDIzJTIwYWdlbmRhJTIwd2l0aCUyMENoYWlyLnBkZiJ9.ohQWgg46oDfPa7KmghXyO4uU4lUHn_exkU8kQrJJC2Q/s/2128614553/br/155266980273-l" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(53, 158, 150);" class="">Agenda</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font face="calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif" size="3" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""> </span></font></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font face="calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif" size="3" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">The link to the </span></font></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Accessible Labeling Draft Rule Language is </span><a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.ARSsJU0j43j0jf1JZcnSZmnJRkHF36P64wB2r7JpAvE/s/2128614553/br/155266980273-l" style="font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(53, 158, 150);" class="">Here</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: calibri, candara, segoe, optima, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> </span></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class="">I am happy to answer any questions you might have.</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class="">Marci Carpenter, President</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class="">NFB of Washington</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class=""><a href="mailto:mjc59@comcast.net" class="">mjc59@comcast.net</a></span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class="">206-604-5507</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;" class=""><br class=""></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></body></html>