[NFBMT] The Accessible Prescription Labels Act

[BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER]

Good afternoon, Fellow Montana Federationists:

 

This is an idea we might want to consider putting forward to our next
legislature.

 

The NFB has added a new bill to the model state bills list.   The name of the
bill is the Accessible Prescription Labels Act. Prescription labels are
regulated at the state level by the state Board of Pharmacy. 

 

The text of the bill is included below. The complete list of all of our model
state bills can be found under the heading "State Resources" at
https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/advocacy-resources.

 


Model Accessible Prescription Labeling Legislation


Purpose: 


To require pharmacies to provide accessible prescription labels for blind and
print disabled users. 

 


Section 1: This act may be cited as the Accessible Prescription Labels Act.


 


Section 2: Accessible prescription labels.


(1) A pharmacy shall notify each person to whom a prescription drug is
dispensed that an accessible prescription label is available to the person
upon request at no additional cost.

 

(2) If a person informs the pharmacy that the person identifies as a person
who is blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled the pharmacy
shall provide to the person an accessible prescription label affixed to the
bottle that is:

(a) Available to the person in a timely manner comparable to other patient
wait time and lasting for at least the duration of the prescription; and

(b) Appropriate to the disability and preference of the person making the
request through use of audible, large print, or Braille labels; and

(c) Conforms to the format specific best practices established by the
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (established under
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973); and

(d) Contains all the label information required by state statute and federal
law, including cautions and warnings, and any information available to
sighted individuals reading the printed label.

 

(3) A pharmacy shall ensure that the prescription label is compatible with
the prescription reader if a reader is provided.

 

(4) The board of pharmacy shall promulgate regulations necessary to implement
this section.

 


Section 3: Definitions


(1)                "Prescription reader" means a device that is designed to
audibly convey the information contained on the label of a prescription drug.

 

Joy Breslauer, Advocacy and Public Policy

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Web Site: http://www.nfbofmt.org <http://www.nfbofmt.org/> 

 

Live the life you want

 

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who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work
together to help blind people live the lives they want.