What's happening
This bill requires prescription drug labels in New York to clearly identify if they contain gluten, lactose, or food dye.
Why it matters
Improves safety for people with allergies or intolerances. By requiring clear labeling of gluten, lactose, and food dyes in prescription drugs, the bill helps patients with celiac disease, lactose intolerance, or sensitivities to dyes avoid harmful reactions.
Increases transparency for patients and caregivers. Patients and their families can make informed choices about medications, reducing anxiety and confusion about hidden ingredients that could impact health.
Holds pharmacies and manufacturers accountable. The law mandates that the relevant ingredients be “clearly and permanently marked or imprinted” on packaging, setting a strong standard for compliance and traceability.
Addresses a gap not covered by federal rules. While federal regulations require disclosure of active ingredients, they do not always require listing of potential allergens or dietary components in inactive ingredients—this law fills that gap for New Yorkers.
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Who cares
Pharmacists and pharmacies
The bill would bar dispensing or selling covered prescription drugs to consumers in New York unless their containers or packages clearly and permanently identify gluten-grain-derived ingredients, lactose or food dye, subject to federal-law exceptions.
Prescription drug users avoiding gluten, lactose or food dye
Required labeling would identify these ingredients in covered drugs, including active and inactive ingredients made from gluten-containing grains or containing lactose.
Prescription drug packaging and labeling suppliers
Covered containers and packages would need clearly marked or imprinted ingredient disclosures that conform to the applicable labeling plan.
Headline styles
Label Allergens on Prescriptions
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 26
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to higher education
- Print number 7379a
- Amend and recommit to higher education
- Referred to higher education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Label Allergens in Prescriptions
In Senate Committee · Higher Education · Sponsor John Liu
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7379--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. BRAUNSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to labeling of prescription drugs containing gluten, lactose or food dye
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 6810 of the education law, as amended by section 2 of part V of chapter 57 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
1. No drug for which a prescription is required by the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or by the commissioner of health shall be distributed or dispensed to any person except upon a prescription written by a person legally authorized to issue such prescription. Such drug shall be compounded or dispensed by a licensed pharmacist, and no such drug shall be dispensed without affixing to the immediate container in which the drug is sold or dispensed a label bearing the name and address of the owner of the establishment in which it was dispensed, the date compounded, the number of the prescription under which it is recorded in the pharmacist's prescription files, the name of the prescriber, the name and address of the patient, and the directions for the use of the drug by the patient as given upon the prescription. Except as otherwise authorized in the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, no drug containing any active or inactive ingredient made from any gluten-containing grain, including wheat, barley, rye, or any crossbred hybrid of such grains, or containing any active or inactive ingredient containing lactose, or containing food dye, and for which any prescription is required by the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or by the commissioner of health contained within a bottle, vial, carton or other container, or in any way affixed or appended to or enclosed within a package of any kind, and designated or intended for
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10881-07-9
A. 7379--A 2
delivery in such container or package to an ultimate consumer, shall be dispensed or sold to an ultimate consumer within this state unless such container or package has clearly and permanently marked or imprinted upon it in conformance with the applicable plan required by subdivision three of this section words clearly identifying each such active or inactive ingredient made from any gluten-containing grain or crossbred hybrid, lactose, or food dye. All labels shall conform to such rules and regulations as promulgated by the commissioner pursuant to section sixty-eight hundred twenty-nine of this article. The prescribing and dispensing of a drug which is a controlled substance shall be subject to additional requirements provided in article thirty-three of the public health law. The words "drug" and "prescription required drug" within the meaning of this article shall not be construed to include soft or hard contact lenses, eyeglasses, or any other device for the aid or correction of vision. Nothing in this subdivision shall prevent a pharmacy from furnishing a drug to another pharmacy which does not have such drug in stock for the purpose of filling a prescription.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law. 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 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.