Bill Text: NY S01740 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires pharmacies to provide prescription drug readers or other means of access to individuals who disclose they have difficulty seeing or reading standard print labels on prescription drug containers; defines "prescription drug reader" to mean a device which is capable of audibly conveying information contained on the label of a prescription drug; makes exceptions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-13 - REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION [S01740 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S01740-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          1740

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 13, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

        AN ACT to amend the education law,  in  relation  to  prescription  drug
          label accessibility

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6810-a
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 6810-a. Prescription drug label  accessibility.  1.  All  pharmacies
     4  with  the  exception of those cited in subdivision three of this section
     5  shall provide prescription drug readers or  other  means  of  access  to
     6  individuals who disclose they have difficulty seeing or reading standard
     7  print  labels  on prescription drug containers. For the purposes of this
     8  section, "prescription drug reader" shall mean a device which is capable
     9  of  audibly  conveying  information  contained  on  the   label   of   a
    10  prescription drug.
    11    2. This section shall require pharmacies to:
    12    (a)  Ensure the prescription drug reader is dispensed for at least the
    13  duration of the individual's prescription;
    14    (b) Ensure the prescription drug reader comes at no additional cost to
    15  the individual;
    16    (c) Make sustained, periodic and  reasonable  efforts  to  inform  the
    17  general  public that prescription drug label information is available in
    18  alternative accessible formats;
    19    (d) Make sustained, periodic and reasonable efforts to inform individ-
    20  uals  with  prior  records  of  low  visibility   and   blindness   that
    21  prescription  drug  readers  or  other  means of access are available in
    22  alternative accessible formats; and
    23    (e) Consult best practice standards established  by  the  U.S.  Access
    24  Board.
    25    3. The provisions of this section shall not apply to:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05311-01-5
        S. 1740                             2

     1    (a) A pharmacy which operates as a sole proprietorship;
     2    (b) A pharmacy located in a correctional facility; or
     3    (c) A pharmacy occupied by a government entity.
     4    4.  The  state  board of pharmacy shall adopt any rules or regulations
     5  necessary for implementation of this  section  no  later  than  December
     6  thirty-first, two thousand twenty-seven.
     7    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.