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House File 2033 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to the provision of accessible
2prescription-related measures for persons who are blind,
3have a visual impairment, or other print disability.
4BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 155A.49 Accessible
2prescription-related measures — persons who are blind,
3visually impaired, or have other print disabilities.
41. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
5requires, “health carrier” means an entity subject to the
6insurance laws and regulations of this state, or subject to
7the jurisdiction of the commissioner of insurance, including
8an insurance company offering sickness and accident plans, a
9health maintenance organization, a nonprofit health service
10corporation, or a plan established pursuant to chapter 509A for
11public employees. “Health carrier” does not include any of the
12following:
13a. The department of health and human services.
14b. A policy or contract providing a prescription drug
15benefit pursuant to 42 U.S.C.ch.7, subch.XVIII, part D.
16c. A plan offered or maintained by a multiple employer
17welfare arrangement established under chapter 513D before
18January 1, 2022.
192. The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A
20to ensure that on or before January 1, 2027, if a person who
21is blind, has a visual impairment, or other print disability
22requests access to prescription drug labels, bag tags, and
23medical guides, a pharmacy provides access to prescription drug
24labels, bag tags, and medical guides, or refers the person to
25a pharmacy within a reasonable distance that provides access
26to prescription drug labels, bag tags, and medical guides.
27The accessibility measures shall meet all of the following
28requirements:
29a. Be provided at no additional cost to such persons.
30b. After a reasonable development period for the pharmacy,
31provide required information on prescription drug labels, bag
32tags, and medical guides in a format that is fully accessible
33to such persons within a time frame comparable to a person that
34is not blind, does not have a visual impairment, or other print
35disability.
-1- 13. On or before April 1 of each year, the board shall
2publish a list on the board’s internet site that contains the
3pharmacies that provide accessibility measures.
44. A health carrier shall pay an enhanced dispensing fee to
5reimburse the costs associated with the accessibility measures
6under this section.
75. This section shall apply to any pharmacy that is
8dispensing prescription drugs in the state except for the
9following:
10a. An institutional pharmacy. For the purpose of this
11subsection, “institutional pharmacy” means a pharmacy located
12within a hospital, nursing home, or long-term care facility.
13b. A pharmacy participating in a prescription drug donation
14repository program pursuant to chapter 135M, if the drug being
15dispensed was donated under the program.
16c. A pharmacy in a jail, a state correctional institution, a
17federal correctional facility, or a juvenile detention home.
186. In adopting rules under this section, the board shall
19solicit input from persons who are blind, have a visual
20impairment, or other print disability.
217. The rules adopted under this section shall meet all of
22the following requirements:
23a. Comply with current guidelines and recommendations from
24the United States government accountability office, and current
25industry standards.
26b. Include a method for providing notice to the public
27that accessible prescription drug labels, bag tags, and
28medical guides are available, including notice regarding the
29availability of the prescription drug labels, bag tags, and
30medical guides in audio format.
31 Sec. 2. ACCESSIBLE PRESCRIPTION-RELATED MEASURES —
32REPORT. The board of pharmacy shall submit a report to the
33governor and the general assembly on or before January 1,
342028, that provides a summary of the progress on implementing
35rules, and recommendations for additional measures to improve
-2-1accessibility.
2EXPLANATION
3The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
4the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
5This bill relates to the provision of accessible
6prescription-related measures for persons who are blind, have a
7visual impairment, or other print disability.
8The bill requires the board of pharmacy (board) to adopt
9administrative rules on or before January 1, 2027, to ensure
10that if a person who is blind, has a visual impairment, or
11other print disability requests access to prescription drug
12labels, bag tags, and medical guides, a pharmacy provides
13access to such, or refers the person to a pharmacy within a
14reasonable distance that provides access to prescription drug
15labels, bag tags, and medical guides.
16The bill provides that accessibility measures shall be
17provided by a pharmacy at no additional cost to such person;
18and information required to be provided on prescription drug
19labels, bag tags, and medical guides shall be provided in a
20format that is fully accessible to such persons within a time
21frame comparable to a person who is not blind, does not have a
22visual impairment, or other print disability.
23The bill requires the board to publish, on or before April 1
24of each year, a list on the board’s internet site of pharmacies
25that provide accessibility measures.
26Under the bill, a health carrier shall pay an enhanced
27dispensing fee to pharmacies to reimburse the costs associated
28with the bill. “Health carrier” is defined in the bill.
29The bill applies to any pharmacy dispensing prescription
30drugs in the state except for an institutional pharmacy; a
31pharmacy participating in a prescription drug repository
32program under Code chapter 135M, if the drug being dispensed
33was donated under the program; a pharmacy in a jail, a state
34correctional institution, a federal correctional facility, or
35a juvenile detention home. The bill defines “institutional
-3-1pharmacy”.
2Under the bill, the board is required to solicit input
3in developing the rules from persons who are blind, have a
4visual impairment, or other print disability. The rules shall
5comply with guidelines and recommendations from the United
6States government accountability office and current industry
7standards, and shall include a method for providing notice to
8the public that accessible prescription drug labels, bag tags,
9and medical guides are available.
10Under the bill, the board shall submit a report to the
11governor and the general assembly on or before January 1,
122028, that provides a summary on the progress on implementing
13rules, and recommendations and additional measures to improve
14accessibility.
-4-ak/ko
2prescription-related measures for persons who are blind,
3have a visual impairment, or other print disability.
4BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 155A.49 Accessible
2prescription-related measures — persons who are blind,
3visually impaired, or have other print disabilities.
41. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
5requires, “health carrier” means an entity subject to the
6insurance laws and regulations of this state, or subject to
7the jurisdiction of the commissioner of insurance, including
8an insurance company offering sickness and accident plans, a
9health maintenance organization, a nonprofit health service
10corporation, or a plan established pursuant to chapter 509A for
11public employees. “Health carrier” does not include any of the
12following:
13a. The department of health and human services.
14b. A policy or contract providing a prescription drug
15benefit pursuant to 42 U.S.C.ch.7, subch.XVIII, part D.
16c. A plan offered or maintained by a multiple employer
17welfare arrangement established under chapter 513D before
18January 1, 2022.
192. The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A
20to ensure that on or before January 1, 2027, if a person who
21is blind, has a visual impairment, or other print disability
22requests access to prescription drug labels, bag tags, and
23medical guides, a pharmacy provides access to prescription drug
24labels, bag tags, and medical guides, or refers the person to
25a pharmacy within a reasonable distance that provides access
26to prescription drug labels, bag tags, and medical guides.
27The accessibility measures shall meet all of the following
28requirements:
29a. Be provided at no additional cost to such persons.
30b. After a reasonable development period for the pharmacy,
31provide required information on prescription drug labels, bag
32tags, and medical guides in a format that is fully accessible
33to such persons within a time frame comparable to a person that
34is not blind, does not have a visual impairment, or other print
35disability.
-1- 13. On or before April 1 of each year, the board shall
2publish a list on the board’s internet site that contains the
3pharmacies that provide accessibility measures.
44. A health carrier shall pay an enhanced dispensing fee to
5reimburse the costs associated with the accessibility measures
6under this section.
75. This section shall apply to any pharmacy that is
8dispensing prescription drugs in the state except for the
9following:
10a. An institutional pharmacy. For the purpose of this
11subsection, “institutional pharmacy” means a pharmacy located
12within a hospital, nursing home, or long-term care facility.
13b. A pharmacy participating in a prescription drug donation
14repository program pursuant to chapter 135M, if the drug being
15dispensed was donated under the program.
16c. A pharmacy in a jail, a state correctional institution, a
17federal correctional facility, or a juvenile detention home.
186. In adopting rules under this section, the board shall
19solicit input from persons who are blind, have a visual
20impairment, or other print disability.
217. The rules adopted under this section shall meet all of
22the following requirements:
23a. Comply with current guidelines and recommendations from
24the United States government accountability office, and current
25industry standards.
26b. Include a method for providing notice to the public
27that accessible prescription drug labels, bag tags, and
28medical guides are available, including notice regarding the
29availability of the prescription drug labels, bag tags, and
30medical guides in audio format.
31 Sec. 2. ACCESSIBLE PRESCRIPTION-RELATED MEASURES —
32REPORT. The board of pharmacy shall submit a report to the
33governor and the general assembly on or before January 1,
342028, that provides a summary of the progress on implementing
35rules, and recommendations for additional measures to improve
-2-1accessibility.
2EXPLANATION
3The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
4the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
5This bill relates to the provision of accessible
6prescription-related measures for persons who are blind, have a
7visual impairment, or other print disability.
8The bill requires the board of pharmacy (board) to adopt
9administrative rules on or before January 1, 2027, to ensure
10that if a person who is blind, has a visual impairment, or
11other print disability requests access to prescription drug
12labels, bag tags, and medical guides, a pharmacy provides
13access to such, or refers the person to a pharmacy within a
14reasonable distance that provides access to prescription drug
15labels, bag tags, and medical guides.
16The bill provides that accessibility measures shall be
17provided by a pharmacy at no additional cost to such person;
18and information required to be provided on prescription drug
19labels, bag tags, and medical guides shall be provided in a
20format that is fully accessible to such persons within a time
21frame comparable to a person who is not blind, does not have a
22visual impairment, or other print disability.
23The bill requires the board to publish, on or before April 1
24of each year, a list on the board’s internet site of pharmacies
25that provide accessibility measures.
26Under the bill, a health carrier shall pay an enhanced
27dispensing fee to pharmacies to reimburse the costs associated
28with the bill. “Health carrier” is defined in the bill.
29The bill applies to any pharmacy dispensing prescription
30drugs in the state except for an institutional pharmacy; a
31pharmacy participating in a prescription drug repository
32program under Code chapter 135M, if the drug being dispensed
33was donated under the program; a pharmacy in a jail, a state
34correctional institution, a federal correctional facility, or
35a juvenile detention home. The bill defines “institutional
-3-1pharmacy”.
2Under the bill, the board is required to solicit input
3in developing the rules from persons who are blind, have a
4visual impairment, or other print disability. The rules shall
5comply with guidelines and recommendations from the United
6States government accountability office and current industry
7standards, and shall include a method for providing notice to
8the public that accessible prescription drug labels, bag tags,
9and medical guides are available.
10Under the bill, the board shall submit a report to the
11governor and the general assembly on or before January 1,
122028, that provides a summary on the progress on implementing
13rules, and recommendations and additional measures to improve
14accessibility.
-4-ak/ko