Seniors
Medication Management For Visually Impaired Seniors
By
May 25, 2008 - 9:26:36 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com)-In today's society, medications--including both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs--have become an important aspect of maintaining good health. Yet for the nearly 20 million Americans with vision loss, the lack of accessible label information poses a serious health risk due to the potential misidentification and misuse of drugs.

To ensure that people with vision loss have ready access to the vital information available to all consumers via prescription labeling, enabling them to take medications safely, effectively and independently, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has embarked on the Rx Label Enable campaign. The goal is to have policymakers develop standards to ensure that medication labels and information are accessible to individuals with vision loss.

As part of the campaign, AFB offers these tips for identifying and organizing medication:

• Ask your pharmacist to attach large-print or, if necessary, Braille labels to pill bottles.

• The size and shape of a pill can help with identification. Practice feeling different pills in your hand until you can recognize them.

• Store medicines in different places that serve as reminders, such as the nightstand if it's to be taken at night or in the kitchen if it should be taken three times a day.

• Use a weekly or daily pill organizer. These boxes generally come with large-print and/or tactile labels. As necessary, ask a friend, family member or home health aide to fill your pillbox for you.

• The size and shape of some containers--such as OTC cough syrups and topical creams--may be enough of a clue to help you recognize them.

For more tips on medication management or resources on leading an active, independent, healthy life with vision loss, visit AFB Senior Site at www.afb.org/seniorsite. And if you or a family member has had trouble reading prescription or over-the-counter medication information, please share your story at www.afb.org/labels.

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