<HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m =
"http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=us-ascii" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)">
<STYLE><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:24.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
font-weight:bold;}
p.p1, li.p1, div.p1
{mso-style-name:p1;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p.p2, li.p2, div.p2
{mso-style-name:p2;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY lang=EN-US dir=ltr link=blue vLink=purple>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">
<DIV>FYI ... </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Also, I think it was recently both CVS Mail order and Optimum RX that
started offering audio labels on perscriptions. </DIV>
<DIV
style='FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline'>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt tahoma">
<DIV><FONT size=3 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=njcounciloftheblind@verizon.net
href="mailto:njcounciloftheblind@verizon.net">NJ Council of the Blind</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 8, 2015 10:12 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> Undisclosed-Recipient:;</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Fw: [leadership] Senator Markey Queries Pharmacies on
Efforts toIncorporate Drug Labeling Best Practices</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style='FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline'>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt tahoma">
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=leadership@acb.org
href="mailto:leadership@acb.org">Eric Bridges via leadership</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 08, 2015 9:19 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=leadership@acb.org
href="mailto:leadership@acb.org">leadership@acb.org</A> ; <A
title=announce@acb.org href="mailto:announce@acb.org">announce@acb.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Cc:</B> <A title=health-issues@acb.org
href="mailto:health-issues@acb.org">health-issues@acb.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [leadership] Senator Markey Queries Pharmacies on Efforts
toIncorporate Drug Labeling Best Practices</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline">
<DIV class=WordSection1>
<P class=MsoNormal>Good morning,<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Late yesterday afternoon Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) sent
out a press release that announced the dissemination of a
letter to the largest pharmacies in the country to ask what they are
doing to implement accessible drug labeling best practices. ACB was happy to
work with his staff in the creation of this letter and thanks the Senator for
his continued dedication to this very important issue. Here is the link and full
press release. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Eric <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'"><A
href="http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-queries-pharmacies-on-prescription-drug-labeling-to-aid-the-blind-and-visually-impaired">http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-queries-pharmacies-on-prescription-drug-labeling-to-aid-the-blind-and-visually-impaired</A></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<H1><SPAN lang=EN>Senator Markey Queries Pharmacies on Prescription Drug
Labeling to Aid the Blind and Visually-Impaired<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H1>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN lang=EN>Wednesday, January 7, 2015
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p1><SPAN lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=p1><SPAN lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=p1><I><SPAN lang=EN>Commends CVS for new “talking” prescription
labels</SPAN></I><SPAN lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><SPAN lang=EN> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><SPAN lang=EN>– Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today sent
letters to a dozen pharmacies requesting information on their efforts to make
prescription drug label information accessible to patients who are blind,
visually-impaired or elderly with deteriorating vision. There are at least 20.6
million Americans who experience vision loss preventing them from reading
important prescription drug label information independently. In his letters,
Senator Markey asks the twelve pharmacies what steps they have taken to adopt or
implement best practices for blind or visually-impaired individuals, including
providing information in braille or large print, offering audible devices to
deliver information, and any costs for making drug labeling information
available. Earlier this week, CVS announced it is now offering its mail service
customers talking prescription labels through its “ScripTalk” system, as well as
braille and large print labels for free its customers who are blind or
visually-impaired.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><SPAN lang=EN> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><B><SPAN lang=EN>“Pharmacies are important partners in empowering
our visually impaired citizens to take full control of their
health,”</SPAN></B><SPAN lang=EN> said Senator Markey. <B>“Putting health and
prescription drug information into the hands and ears of patients who are blind
or visually-impaired is critical to ensuring safety and promoting
independence.</B><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><B><SPAN lang=EN> </SPAN></B><SPAN
lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><B><SPAN lang=EN>“I commend CVS for providing options for those who
are visually impaired, and I encourage all pharmacies to adopt policies,
technologies and services that are readily available and will help promote and
protect the health of all customers.”</SPAN></B><SPAN
lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><SPAN lang=EN> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><SPAN lang=EN>A copy of the letters to the pharmacies can be found
<A href="http://www.markey.senate.gov/prescription-drug-labeling">HERE</A>.
Senator Markey sent letters to CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart, Express
Scripts, Target, Safeway, Kroger, UnitedHealth Group, Sears/Kmart, Costco, and
Medicine Shoppe International.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><SPAN lang=EN> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=p2><SPAN lang=EN>In 2012, Senator Markey’s “Prescription Drug Labeling
Promotion Act” was passed as part of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Safety and Innovation Act, ensuring that the blind and visually-impaired have
safe and independent access to the information on prescription drug labels. The
law established a working group of pharmacists, patient advocates, and federal
regulators that issued recommendations of best practices for pharmacies to
ensure that people who are blind or visually-impaired have access to
prescription drug labeling. The law also instructs the Government Accountability
Office to analyze the degree to which pharmacists are adhering to the law and
whether there continues to be a lack of access to prescription drug labeling for
the blind and visually-impaired.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Eric Bridges<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>American Council of the Blind<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Director of External Relations and Policy<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><A
href="mailto:ebridges@acb.org">ebridges@acb.org</A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Learn more about us at <A
href="http://www.acb.org/">www.acb.org</A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Follow us on Twitter at @acbnational<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Like us on Facebook at <A
href="http://www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial">www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial</A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
_______________________________________________<BR>leadership mailing
list<BR>leadership@acb.org<BR>http://www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/leadership<BR></DIV></DIV></DIV><BR><BR>
<HR
style="BORDER-TOP: medium none; HEIGHT: 1px; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; WIDTH: 99%; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; COLOR: #909090; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #b0b0b0">
<TABLE
style="BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-LEFT: medium none">
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD
style="BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 8px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 15px"><A
href="http://www.avast.com/"><IMG border=0
src="http://static.avast.com/emails/avast-mail-stamp.png"> </A></TD>
<TD>
<P
style='FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","Verdana","Arial","Helvetica"; COLOR: #3d4d5a'>This
email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. <BR><A
href="http://www.avast.com/">www.avast.com</A>
</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>