A bill that will help Californians better understand their medication is making its way through the legislature. AB 1073, authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting, would increase access to translated prescription drug labels. Specifically, AB 1073 would require the California Board of Pharmacy to post on its website translated standardized directions for use in at least five languages other than English (Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese). It would also require pharmacists to provide these translated directions for their Limited English Proficient patients.
CPEHN Policy Advocate Kimberly Chen appeared on Capitol Public Radio this week to discuss how this bill would impact California’s communities of color and Limited English Proficient populations:
“We know from research that patients can often misunderstand the prescription medication information, and for limited English proficient patients, these misunderstandings can be much more severe and much more frustrating,” says Kimberly Chen of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, a supporter of the bill.
“By ensuring that they have access to medical information, it will help reduce medical errors, and ensure that patients are complying with their prescription information. It ultimately helps meet the needs of Californians.”
You can find more information on AB 1073 in the Policy Center on our website. If you would like to receive updates on how to support this and other legislation that will help improve the health of California’s communities of color, be sure to join our network to receive action alerts.