People without disabilities take many of the things we do for granted. Take the simple act of taking a prescription, which can seem like a monumental task if the person trying to take the medication suffers from a disability. Severe arthritis can make opening a prescription bottle impossible, while individuals with visual impairments face different sets of challenges. Walgreens has launched a nationwide initiative in collaboration with The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the ACB affiliates in California and Illinois to provide talking prescription devices for customers who have visual impairments.
This initiative is going to offer a talking prescription device called the Talking Pill Reminder at all of its locations nationwide. The device is designed to easily attach to prescription containers and it can be recorded with the information the patient needs along with an alarm to alert patients when to take the medication.
"Accessible prescription information is critical to people who are blind, and with today’s announcement, Walgreens assumes a significant leadership role in serving its customers with visual impairments," said ACB President Kim Charlson.
The Talking Pill Reminder is available at Walgreens retail pharmacies across the country for $9.99, but the company is making it available free of charge with prescription medications Walgreens dispenses to blind or visually impaired customers.
The device attaches to prescription containers and it fits most standard pill vials. It has an audible beep, a 30-second recording function, an adjustable alarm interval between doses and voice prompts for assistance.
"Adherence to medication can be critical in treating illness today, and this is an innovation that will help our visually impaired customers correctly identify and take medications as prescribed,” ," said Jeff Koziel, Walgreens group vice president of pharmacy operations. “As part of our mission to help customers get, stay and live well, we’re proud to have worked closely with other leading organizations to make the Talking Pill Reminder available across all of our more than 8,100 stores nationwide.”
Edited by
Rory J. Thompson
