Press Release : PPLA
Washington, D.C. (January 29th, 2024) – A new report from Punchbowl News highlighted the worsening outlook for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program, underscoring why proposals to eliminate printed medication information (PMI) in favor of online formats like QR codes is deeply flawed.
The Affordable Connectivity Program provides affordable internet access for rural and underserved communities, but it is nearly out of funding and there is no consensus in Congress about how to move forward.
Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association (PPLA) Board President Dave Joesten: “It is essential that all Americans have medication information at the point-of-care and in an accessible format so patients understand their medications and how to take them. We already knew efforts to move medication information to digital formats was dangerous, and now it’s even more apparent with millions of Americans on the cusp of losing broadband internet access. If Congress can’t even ensure rural and underserved Americans have access to broadband, how do they expect them to manage their healthcare using a QR code? We must protect printed medication information for Americans’ health and safety.”
Punchbowl News: Congress stalls as critical Affordable Connectivity Program runs out of money
Congress is about to let a popular government-backed affordable internet program lapse and lawmakers can’t agree on what to do next.
Households enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program began receiving notices this week from their providers about the impending impact on their internet bills. The $14 billion program — included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 — is helping 23 million households, according to the FCC.
The FCC will stop accepting new applications after Feb. 7 in anticipation of the program running out of money by April. Without congressional action, one in six households could lose broadband access, FCC spokesperson Paloma Perez said.
That’s left lawmakers representing rural populations and low-income communities franticly urging congressional leaders to save the program, to little avail.
Recently, PPLA joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers from both houses of Congress in urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revise its proposed rule “Medication Guides: Patient Medication Information.” PPLA and these lawmakers are concerned that the rule, while taking necessary steps to standardize patient medication information (PMI), fails to incorporate cognitively accessible formatting and would promote a digital PMI format that many patients would struggle to access.
The Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association
The Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association is a trade group representing printers of regulated pharmaceutical information, including packaging inserts, medication guides, and patient package inserts as well as other label packaging such as folding cartons and pressure-sensitive labels. Material and technology suppliers are also part of the PPLA.
Chartered in 2001, the PPLA serves as the voice for our members, advocating for patient safety and risk communication by fighting to keep information on paper and readily accessible for patients and caregivers. This information helps drive the patient involvement model of health care, helping patients get the maximum benefits from the powerful drugs they take while minimizing risk.
For more information about PPLA, click here.