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USP Seeks Comments on Prescription Container Labeling Standards
United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) encourages pharmacists and other health care providers to submit comments on proposed General Chapter <17> (PDF) on prescription container labeling published January 3, 2011. The chapter is based on recommendations from the Health Literacy and Prescription Container Labeling Advisory Panel which was established in May 2007 and presented recommendations (PDF) to the USP Safe Medication Use Expert Committee in November 2009. The chapter seeks to:
- Organize the prescription label in a patient-centered manner
- Emphasize instructions and other information important to patients
- Simplify language
- Give explicit instructions
- Include purpose for use
- Limit auxiliary information
- Address limited English proficiency
- Improve readability
Shawn Becker, MS, RN, USP director of healthcare quality standards, explained that USP wants pharmacists and other stakeholders submitting comments to be creative and share ideas for the appearance of a standard label, as reported in an American Pharmacists Association press release. Comments on the proposed general chapter may be submitted to USP by e-mail at 17PrescriptionContainerLabeling@usp.org and must be received by the deadline of March 31, 2011.
