Massachusetts Hearing on Accessibility in Healthcare

On Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 12:00 PM there is going to be a hearing on h1937, a bill filed at the request of me, Brian J. Coppola, by representative Diana DiZoglio which is an act relative to blind and cross disability agencies who receive funding from the state fiscal budget to work in conjunction with pharmacies and pharmacist to establish best practices of putting labeling on prescription drugs into accessible format for those who are blind or have other print reading disabilities. This would include public schools, community and state colleges or universities that offer ESL and special needs schools and rehabilitation and special needs schools receiving state funding for their services and programs to work with the pharmacies and pharmacists to put prescription labeling into accessible format for the blind to be able to manage their prescriptions in a safe and independent manner.

The hearing is before the Joint Committee on Public Health and I urge all of you to show up and give testimony in support of this very critical matter. As you know, there is technology available now that can put information contained on prescription labeling into accessible format via the use of RFID technology to which the blind person, by calling En-Vision America can get a patient reader station free of charge when they use participating pharmacies that use this system. The do have to purchase the other part of the system that creates the label through a special micro chip and a small antenna into a special label, to which is programmed to the prescription label, using a special printer that works in conjunction with their software and that of special firmware developed by En-Vision America. The unit for the pharmacies would come to $1,500.00 and also the costs of labels, but, they also get an accessibility tax credit for doing so. This would be a reward for helping the disabled to be able to be on an equal playing field to that of other people who are not afflicted with visual problems or other print reading challenges.

It is time to make our voices heard on this matter and to stand up for our rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title 28 C.F.R Part 36 and HIPA to enjoy the same quality of life as that if those who do not have visual or print reading challenges. It is time to stand up and say that we are not just a, “niche,” in society and to help the Commonwealth of Massachusetts reduce the4 costs of unnecessary emergency room visits due to medical errors resulting from non compliant with a prescription regiment due to the fact that they cannot read the small print only labeling on the prescriptions. Let’s help get this critical issue through to help the visually impaired, the print reading challenged, the pharmacists and even the ones who we ask for help to read our prescriptions for us and other task to feel more safe and secure knowing that we can be more independent. This would also be a great testament to our loved ones and the people we care about.

Thus, I urge you to show up at the hearing and throw your support behind H1937, filed by Representative Diana DiZoglio of Methuen, Massachusetts, because, the time is now for us to stand up for our rights to accessible prescription labeling and to become more independent in our daily lives and to better enhance the quality and quantity of our lives.

Also, feel free to ask your state representative and State Senator to show up at this very important hearing and to throw their support behind H 1937. The time is now, 2013!!! Not when someone else gets hurt to themselves or even others through honest medical errors caused by not being able to read prescription labels. I look forward to your support behind this matter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 508 265-5099. Have a nice day and a nice Easter.

Sincerely Yours,

Brian J. Coppola

Brian J. Coppola

PS: Please pass this along to all of your friends and family. We really need your support on this one.