Press Release : PPLA
Washington, DC (April 19, 2024) – Today the Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association (PPLA) is highlighting how a recently proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would exacerbate health inequities. The FDA rule would force the transition of Patient Medication Information (PMI), the life-saving information dispensed at the pharmacy detailing a drug’s purpose, instructions for use, and potential side effects, from print to a digital-only format.
Digital PMI, often distributed in the form of a QR code, would restrict access to lifesaving patient medication information to millions of Americans without access to broadband, computers or smartphones, increasing medication non-adherence and leading to adverse and dangerous side effects, hospitalization and even death. According to a Pew Research Center study:
- Roughly a quarter of adults with household incomes below $30,000 a year (24%) say they don’t own a smartphone
- About four-in-ten adults with lower incomes do not have home broadband services (43%) or a desktop or laptop computer (41%)
- And a majority of Americans with lower incomes are not tablet owners.
Additionally, the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helps low-income families secure broadband, will run out of funding by the end of April. More than 75% of recipients told the Federal Communications Commission that losing the funds would threaten their broadband access. Without the program, millions of low-income families would face significant barriers to accessing digital PMI.
The bipartisan Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act (H.R. 1173) would protect patients’ access to printed PMI and as a result, reduce health inequities that could have life-threatening consequences.
The Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association
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.
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