Today, October 11, is World Sight Day 2018 and all pharmacists should consider asking customers they suspect of having limited vision whether they encounter difficulty reading labels on medication products.
Numerous studies demonstrate that people with limited vision find managing their medication is one of the many issues they have to contend with daily.
In its largest survey into the experiences of blind and partially sighted people, the Royal National Institute of Blind People discovered that 85 per cent of respondents found it difficult or impossible to read medicine information on labels.
Webstercare says it understands the medication-management challenges of people who are blind or have limited sight and has worked directly with Vision Australia and Blind Citizens Australia to help people with low vision and ensure they take their medications correctly.
“In talking with the experts, we discovered that it’s much easier for a person with low vision to make out white text against a black background,” Webstercare Managing Director Gerard Stevens said. “This led to the development of Webster-pak LV (low vision), specifically designed to ensure people with low vision are able to take their medications correctly.”
He adds that studies around the world have shown it is easier for people with low vision to read a simple, large white font on a black background, because contrast is critical in enhancing visual function.
The Webster-pak LV is a black pack and uses a large, white san serif font, Mr Stevens says, adding that the use of upper and lower-case letters is aimed at making the words easier to discern.
“People with low vision find the Webster-pak LV much easier to use, with the indicated day (Monday-Sunday) labels and dosage times (breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime) easier to see,” he said. “The medications, as prescribed by their doctor and packaged and supplied by a pharmacist, are more likely to be taken safely and accurately.”
