OLYMPIA…It might be a standing joke that drug prescriptions from doctors often are written in hard-to-read cursive. But Sen. Dale Brandland, R-Whatcom County, wants doctors and patients to know that prescriptions written in cursive are now against the law.

A new state law that took effect June 7 now requires all drug prescriptions to be hand printed, typewritten or electronically generated. The legibility law is found in House Bill 2292, which was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gregoire earlier this year.

“I want to get the word out as much as possible about the new law so people can get their prescriptions filled with minimal hassle,” said Brandland, who serves on the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee.

“I want people to know that if they receive a hand-written prescription from their doctor, they need to let their doctor know about the new law so a legible prescription can be provided that meets the law’s requirement. If they go to a pharmacy with a prescription and the pharmacist rejects it because of the new law, they’ll need to know why,” Brandland said.

Brandland said the Washington State Medical Association will distribute a notice about the prescription legibility law to doctors throughout Washington. The 42nd District senator added that he also spoke to a number of local organizations such as the Whatcom County Medical Society to make sure they also contact doctors in the county about the new law.

For more information contact Catherine Trinh at (360) 786-7503 or via e-mail at trinh.catherine@leg.wa.gov