What's happening
This bill requires pharmacies in New York to use at least 14-point font for prescription bottle labels.
Why it matters
Improves medication safety, especially for seniors and those with visual impairments. , by making prescription instructions easier to read and reducing the risk of dosage or usage errors due to small, hard-to-read labels.
Creates a statewide, enforceable standard. that requires all pharmacies to comply, meaning patients can expect consistent label readability regardless of where they fill their prescriptions.
Empowers the Department of Health to set and update regulations. , ensuring flexibility to address future changes in best practices or accessibility standards, rather than locking in static requirements.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Bigger Prescription Label Fonts
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3597
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 25, 2017
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to labeling and font size of prescription drugs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 206 of the public health law is amended by adding a new subdivision 31 to read as follows:
31. The commissioner shall promulgate by rule and regulation criteria directing pharmacies to provide prescription bottle labels in a font size of at least fourteen point print.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. Provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07345-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to labeling and font size of prescription drugs
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill increases the font size on prescription labels to at least fourteen point print.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the section 206 of the public health law by adding a new subdivision directing by rule and regulation criteria, pharmacies to provide prescription bottle labels in a font size of at least fourteen point print.
Section 2 provides that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such dates.
Justification
New York State ranks third in the nation with regard to its elderly population. Older adults in the 60-plus age group are significantly less likely to be able to read prescription drug labels than younger adults. This is a large problem because older adults take more prescription medications than younger adults, and as a result are more at risk from the ill effects associated with mistaken intake of prescribed medications associate with the illegible font of prescription labels.
The warnings on prescription drug labels are important to them, yet they're less likely to find these warnings if they are printed in a 12 or lower point font. With an increase in font sizes, older adults will be more aware of the frequency of when they should be taking the drugs, and what to avoid in comprehension with the prescribed medication.
Prior legislative history
2015-16: S.2754 - Referred to Health 2013-14: S.7573 - Referred to Health
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This shall take effect the on hundred and twentieth day after it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.