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Helping Blind Veterans Read Prescriptions

"The intent of the APRD program is to have a device available for veterans who require auditory assistance to assure the safe use of their medications." - Michael Valentino, Chief Consultant, Pharmacy Benefits Management Strategic Healthcare Group Veterans Health Administration

One of the fundamental tenets of the Department of Veterans Affairs is patient safety, and VA is often at the forefront of technological innovation in this area. Medication safety is one area of patient safety that lately has received considerable attention in both the public and private sectors. Several years ago, VA observed a need among blinded veterans for a reliable way to properly identify their prescription medications. Under the direction of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Under Secretary for Health charged a workgroup comprised of representatives from Veterans Health Administration services - Prosthetics and Sensory Aids, Rehabilitation Medicine, Blind Rehabilitation, Pharmacy Benefits Management, Optometry - and a representative from the Blinded Veterans Association to identify commercial products and establish uniform criteria for the purchase and use of Audible Prescription Reading Devices (APRDs). VHA's market research of APRDs recommended the use of a single product, and in August, the ScripTalk device, manufactured by EnvisionAmerica, was selected as VA's preferred APRD. The device is designed to assist veterans who have impaired vision with the independent management of medication identification and instructions. In October, VA began a phased implementation at 92 medical centers where there are full-time Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST) coordinators. Prior to this implementation phase, approximately 600 patients were using Audible Prescription Reading Devices at 12 medical centers across the country. The VIST coordinators will are helping to identify eligible visually impaired veterans who can benefit from this device. When Phase I is completed, Phase II will include the remaining VA sites with a need for APRDs, with priority given to the sites where there are Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist and Blind Rehabilitation Centers.

VA's APRD program uses a "talking" medication label reader that enhances medication safety for patients who have difficulty reading instructions. These labels have embedded microchips that contain digital information about the prescription. A separate portable reading device translates the contents of the microchip into speech, so that the user can hear what the medication is and how to use it. VA is committed to patient safety, and its APRD program is expected to aid those veterans who require an audible device for the independent safe management of medication identification and instructions.