Prescription Accessibility Grant Program

The Prescription Accessibility Grant Program is administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) in accordance with House Bill 24-1115, passed by the Colorado General Assembly in 2024. This legislation requires pharmacies to provide accessible prescription drug labels to patients who report difficulty reading standard print labels. The program seeks to support pharmacies in meeting these requirements by offering financial assistance for the acquisition of necessary labeling equipment. This initiative aligns with broader goals of health equity and disability access across Colorado. Under the new mandate, pharmacies must provide one or more accessible labeling options at no cost to the patient, including electronic labels compatible with prescription readers, large print or braille labels, or other formats compliant with the U.S. Access Board's best practices. Pharmacies are given a 28-day grace period to fulfill such requests and are also encouraged to proactively inform the public about the availability of accessible labeling options. To facilitate compliance, the Prescription Accessibility Grant Program offers hardship grants on a reimbursement basis to help pharmacies offset the cost of purchasing this equipment. The program is designed exclusively for Colorado-based pharmacies and targets independent pharmacies—defined as those privately owned by at least one licensed pharmacist and unaffiliated with chain or publicly traded entities. Major chains like CVS and Walgreens are explicitly excluded. Approximately $65,000 in funding is available, with a maximum grant of $1,500 per eligible applicant. Awards will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted or until the final application deadline of October 1, 2025. Applicants are therefore encouraged to apply early to secure funding. Applications must be submitted using a designated Google Form and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Because this is a reimbursement-based program, applicants must purchase the required equipment before applying and must submit proof of purchase, a completed invoice using the provided template, a completed W-9 form, and other identifying information about the pharmacy and contact person. There is no mention of evaluation scoring or selection criteria beyond eligibility and submission order. The program underwent a public feedback period from November 7 to December 5, 2024, to ensure transparency and community input. Feedback received included support for the program’s purpose and concerns about the reimbursement model. In response, CDPHE amended its program rules to allow one-on-one consultation for pharmacies experiencing undue hardship due to the reimbursement structure, although the structure itself remains unchanged. For questions or support related to the application process or program guidelines, applicants are encouraged to contact Maisey Lyons de Valle at maisey.lyonsdevalle@state.co.us or by phone at 303-692-2000. Applications will remain open until the October 1, 2025 deadline or until all funds are allocated, whichever occurs first.