Press Release PPLA
Washington, DC (May 06, 2024) – Today, the Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association is highlighting how the Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act (H.R. 1173) would deliver better health outcomes for Americans by protecting patients’ access to critical information that comes with their medications.
Introduced by Reps. Buddy Carter (R-GA), Jared Golden (D-ME), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), and Bruce Westerman (R-AR), H.R. 1173 would guarantee that all patients receive printed Patient Medication Information (PMI) with their prescriptions. PMI refers to the essential medication information outlining a drug’s instructions for use and potential side effects.
In the U.S., there is currently no requirement that PMI be provided at all. There is also no standardized PMI format, so it’s often too difficult to read. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may worsen the current situation with a proposed rule that would implement an unproven PMI design and push PMI onto a digital, not printed, format via a QR code or website link.
H.R. 1173 would deliver better health outcomes for Americans by protecting vulnerable patient communities:
- Over 50% of older Americans take four or more medications. Since many older Americans lack the know-how necessary to reliably retrieve PMI digitally, they need printed PMI to effectively manage their medication plans.
- Roughly 37% of rural households do not have broadband, 12 percentage points higher than urban households. Lower internet access means a greater need for printed PMI.
- Nearly 25% of households with incomes below $30,000 a year don’t own a smartphone. These households need printed PMI, as they cannot access PMI via a QR code.
Uninformed patients often fall victim to medication non-adherence, which takes the lives of roughly 125,000 people annually. Without H.R. 1173, vulnerable patients could be left without PMI, increasing their likelihood of medication non-adherence.
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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