Board committee weighs flexible approach to implementing AB 1902 accessible prescription labels

Chair Maria Serpa, chairperson of the Enforcement and Compounding Committee of the California State Board of Pharmacy, opened discussion on agenda item 4: the implementation of Assembly Bill 1902, a state law requiring prescription drug labels be made accessible to patients with disabilities and limited English proficiency in a "timely manner comparable to other patient wait times."

The committee repeatedly returned to the core question of whether the board should define "timely manner" in regulation or require pharmacies to adopt internal policies and procedures that explain how they will meet the law. Several committee members said a flexible, policy-driven approach would let different pharmacy business models—retail, closed-door, mail-order, and small independent pharmacies—determine how to comply. "I don't think that timely manner can be defined," said President Seung Oh, adding that rules should let businesses document how they will deliver accessible labels rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all deadline.

The committee heard public comment from pharmacists and trade groups. John Gray, a registered pharmacist with Kaiser Permanente, said a policy-and-procedure approach is “rational” and noted an operational tension in…