In small towns across America, like some parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, reliable internet isn’t guaranteed. For some families, even a simple task like checking an email or downloading a document means driving into town. Now imagine if the only way you could read your prescription instructions was online.
That’s the reality millions of rural Americans could face if the FDA moves forward with a digital-only system for medication information. For patients without broadband or smartphones, the instructions they rely on for safe dosing, side effects, and warnings could suddenly be out of reach. It’s not just a matter of convenience.
Rural America already faces steep health challenges: hospital closures, doctor shortages, and longer drives for care. Take away printed prescription information, and you remove one of the simplest tools people have to manage their health safely at home.
That’s why the bipartisan Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act is so important. It ensures every patient, no matter their zip code or internet speed, can get clear, printed instructions with their prescriptions.
Technology has a role to play in healthcare. But progress should add options, not take them away. For rural communities, printed medication information isn’t outdated. It’s essential.