On June 25, 2025, Reps. Sherrill and Harshbarger reintroduced a bipartisan bill to modernize prescription information (here) and, on June 12, 2025, two senators introduced a similar bill in the Senate (see previous post here). Now we have very similar bills floating around in each chamber. Maybe this is the year that the legislation will pass and Congress will provide for the use of appropriate funds by the FDA to make the change in the way prescribing information is provided to the public.
Remember that label changes now must be distributed to users in paper form with the product. While firms may make these changes, it means that the old labeling will continue to be distributed in already packaged products until all of the inventory is exhausted. This can take up to a year, or potentially longer, depending on the product’s expiration date. In contrast, with electronic labeling, newly added or revised information is available instantly, as soon as the change is made. We discussed some of the other benefits of electronic labeling in our previous post. If one does not have access to the internet, the labeling would also be available in paper from the company or accessible at a computer at a library, school, or place of business.
The use of electronic labeling is a long overdue change to the way prescribing information is made available. Let’s hope it moves forward! With bipartisan legislation in both the House and Senate, it can become a reality.
