AFB Survey Finds Drug Labeling Puts People with Vision Loss at Serious Me...( Legally blind parents almost miss dan...),Health

Legally blind parents almost miss dangerous pharmacy error in child's medication; young man is hospitalized because he could not see insulin labels; small print on labels causes grandmother to confuse medications

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Would you feel safe taking a dose of medication if you were not fully confident you were taking the correct amount? What would you do if you couldn't read important drug information on prescription bottles or package inserts? For the more than 20 million people living with vision loss, not being able to read drug container labels and package inserts is a scary reality and a significant public health challenge.

A recent survey by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) found that people with vision loss were unable to read necessary instructions supplied with prescription and over-the-counter medications, often leading to taking the wrong medication, taking the improper dosage of a medication, and in some extreme cases, becoming ill or having to visit the emergency room.

"Not having access to the information on prescription labels is extremely dangerous for people with vision loss," said Mark Richert, Director of Public Policy at AFB. "We need policy makers, retailers, and others to work together to ensure that prescription labeling is accessible, and that all people can take their medication effectively, independently, and most importantly, safely."

The Access to Drug Labels Survey explored the personal stories of people who had trouble reading prescription or over-the-counter medication information. It was conducted as part of AFB's Rx Label Enable Campaign, an initiative to ensure that people with vision loss have access to the vital information available to all consumers via prescription labeling and related documentation. Data from the s
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