Included in the budget that passed on Friday were new regulations for New York’s chain pharmacies.

The regulations are designed to help people with limited English and the elderly understand complicated medical instructions.  One of the changes will be to prescription pads.  The modification will give doctors a place to indicate what their patients preferred language is, and pharmacies will have to provide prescription instructions in that language.  Theo Oshiro, the deputy director of Make The Road New York, an advocacy group that backed the legislation says people will see big differences. 

“This is a major piece of legislation with real changes that everyday people will be able to experience as soon as the legislation goes into effect.”

The measure goes into effect a year from now.

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