Access to Drug Labels Survey Report
More than 100 individuals completed the Access to Drug Labels Survey and, in nearly every instance, respondents explained serious negative consequences of unreadable drug labeling information. Respondents included people of all ages with vision loss, and people with all degrees of vision loss. To find out more, read the full report.
Making Prescription Labeling and Information Usable by People with Vision Loss
Approximately 25 million adult Americans experience vision loss impacting their ability to independently read prescription labeling and related information. Given that the incidence of vision loss is expected to dramatically increase, this current significant public health challenge must be addressed immediately.
AFB created the Rx Label Enable campaign to ensure that people with vision loss have ready access to the vital information available to all consumers via prescription labeling and related documentation enabling them to take medications safely, effectively and independently. To achieve this goal, AFB is reaching out to all stakeholders including consumers experiencing vision loss, policymakers, federal regulators, doctors, the pharmaceutical industry, retailers, assistive technology providers, and public and private insurers to promote solutions, build consensus and take action.
From this page, you can find resources to both help you learn more about this important issue and become involved.
There are essentially no federal guidelines for pharmacists to follow in making prescription labels accessible. To bridge this gap, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Foundation and the American Foundation for the Blind have teamed together with an Advisory Group to develop a set of guidelines for pharmacists to use. The full set of guidelines will be available online soon, but here are some tips for you to share right away with your pharmacist. The National Eye Institute (NEI) also provides Five Simple Solutions for Managing Your Medication.
A Report to Congress: The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, Section 107(f): A Study on How to Make Prescription Pharmaceutical Information, Including Drug Labels and Usage Instructions, Accessible for Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals
www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=3&TopicID=329&DocumentID=3629
Issue Brief: Access to Prescription Drug Labeling
www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=3&TopicID=329&DocumentID=3630
