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Committee Hears Support for HB 374 to Require Accessible Prescription Labels
Summary
Proponents told the House Insurance Committee that accessible label readers, RFID stickers and braille can prevent medication errors for blind and print‑disabled Ohioans; witnesses demonstrated device readouts and urged the bill advance from committee. No vote was taken.
Proponents of House Bill 374 told the Ohio House Insurance Committee that requiring pharmacies to offer accessible prescription labeling would reduce medication errors and help blind and other print‑disabled Ohioans manage medications independently.
Richard Payne of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio described personal experience with similar pills and printed instructions that are unreadable to blind patients, saying the result can be dangerous: "I accidentally took 2 of those pills, at the wrong time," he said, describing a near‑miss that he and other members have experienced. Payne told the committee HB 374 would ensure pharmacies offer readers or labeled packaging so patients can verify drug name, dosage and instructions.
Other witnesses, including Annette Lutz, demonstrated a label‑reading device (ScriptTalk) and played a machine readout of a sample prescription. Lutz told the committee the devices can be as simple as a smartphone app or a small reader on which a bottle is placed; she said many devices are available in multiple languages and that braille or RFID stickers are additional options some pharmacies already provide.
Mary Anne Denning, who has been blind since birth, urged the committee to approve HB 374 so print‑disabled Ohioans can "identify important information about the medication," including expiration date and dosing, without relying on another person. Denning said her pharmacy places braille labels and RFID stickers that let her independently confirm medication details.
Committee members asked how widely available the readers are and whether services are free. Witnesses said vendors such as Envision America (ScriptTalk) make free options available to pharmacies and that small independents can implement alternative vendor solutions or braille/RFID labels. Supporters emphasized that the bill seeks to require pharmacies to offer an option, not to force a single vendor.
The committee noted 11 additional written testimonies on the record. The second hearing on HB 374 concluded with proponents urging the measure to be reported out of committee; no formal vote or committee action occurred at the hearing.
