BEIJING: Authorities in China are promoting the use of large font sizes in physical and electronic versions of drug information labels and leaflets to address the diverse reading needs of patients.
According to the latest guidelines, any titles, warnings or names on the labels should be prominent and may be enlarged and in bold.
The National Medical Products Administration recently released the guidelines to enhance patient safety, following mandatory provisions for drug information labels and leaflets in the Law on Barrier-Free Environment Construction, which was discussed by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s top legislature, and came into effect from Sept 1.
Electronic versions of the leaflets should support zoom in or out functions, and should not exhibit noticeable font and layout differences when displayed on different devices. Advertising plugins, especially those related to payment, and inducement buttons are prohibited to ensure comprehensive access to drug information by patients and professionals, the document said.
The issue of tiny fonts in drug information leaflets has long been a public concern, impacting the safety of medication use and hindering accessible information, according to the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
