ISSN 0377-9556 (PRINT)
ISSN 2383-9457 (ONLINE)
ISSN 2383-9457 (ONLINE)
Types of barriers to medication among individuals with visual impairment
| Types of barriers | Source | Severity/Congenital or acquired | Detailed problems |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug identification | Almukainzi et al., 202022) | Blindness/Congenital | - They identify drugs by size, tactile (surface roughness), or smell. - They attach Braille or tactile markings to identify drugs. |
| Lee et al., 201924) | - | Common methods of drug identification: separate storage in recognizable containers (46%), help from family or caregivers (26.5%), no other means (17.7%), recognizable markings (7.1%), and use of Braille (2.7%) | |
| Killick et al., 201827) | - | Most individuals with VI have trouble identifying drugs. | |
| Farhadyar et al., 201828) | When developing a medication management application for those with VI, functions that identify pills and organize a list of medications would be helpful. | ||
| Koo et al., 201631) | 1st grade, 2nd grade/congenital and acquired | - It is difficult to distinguish between breakfast and lunch pills unless distinct packages are employed. - If the pill package is extremely thin, those with VI sometimes accidentally tear more than one package simultaneously and overdose. |
|
| Riewpaiboon et al., 200938) | - | - Common methods of drug identification: memorize the medicine package (51.2%), seek help from others (17.4%), keep medicines in different locations (11.6%), and label the package (5.8%). - Change in the brand or appearance of a previously prescribed drug can hinder identification for those with VI. |
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| Medication management (opening, preparation, storage, and disposal) | Almukainzi et al., 202022) | - | Considering the identification of medicine expiration date, 90% of the survey participants depended on their caregivers, 8% did not know the expiration date, and 2% estimated it themselves. |
| Nedovic et al., 201925) | - | When developing a medication management application for those with VI, text notification service and expiration date reminder function should be considered. | |
| Killick et al., 201827) | - | - Among the various dosage forms, liquid and ear/eye drops were rated the most difficult to use. - 75% of interviewees did not know the expiration date of their medication. - 58% were unable to name their medication. - 72% did not know how to store their medications appropriately. |
|
| Zhi-Han et al., 20179) | Congenital and acquired | - The most difficult dosage forms to handle were eye/ear drops and liquid drugs, whereas pills and capsules were relatively easy to handle. - 13% of interviewees expressed difficulty opening the medicine container. |
|
| Koo et al., 201631) | 1st/2nd grade/congenital and acquired | - It can be difficult to handle tiny pills that stick to the hand, fall to the floor, and are lost. | |
| Pagliuca et al., 200937) | - | When parents with VI administer liquid medications to their children, they pour the medicine into a disposable cup and measure the appropriate amount by touching it with their hands. | |
| Access to pharmacy | Nagarajan et al., 202220) | - | - Due to COVID-19 pandemic, 51% of the respondents were concerned that they would not be able to get to the pharmacy to get needed healthcare supplies/prescriptions. - 83% were concerned about touching objects in public such as elevator panels, self-serve kiosks, or restroom doors to check signage, while 63% were not sure how to maintain appropriate social distance (staying 6 feet apart from others) in public. |
| Koo et al., 201631) | 1st/2nd grade/congenital and acquired | - To procure prescription drugs, those with VI can only use a pharmacy with high accessibility, such as a pharmacy located immediately next to the hospital they visit. - It can be difficult to visit a pharmacy independently. - From the perspective of those with VI, it would be better to sell common OTC drugs at convenience stores. |
|
| Medication instructions (dosage, dosing interval) | Almukainzi et al., 202022) | Blindness/congenital | Regarding dose, time, diet, and drug interactions, 92% of the survey participants depended on others, 5% said it was impossible to collect information, and 2% depended on presumption. |
| Lee et al., 201924) | - | - It is difficult to take the right dose of drugs at a set time. - It is difficult to obtain information on the side effects and expiration dates of medicines. |
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| Nedovic et al., 201925) | - | An application function or phone/text guidance is required to provide reminders regarding the time and dosage of medicines to those with VI. | |
| Killick et al., 201827) | - | Many of those with VI rely only on memory for medication instructions. | |
| Farhadyar et al., 201828) | - | When developing a medication guidance application for those with VI, it is necessary to include a dosing alarm and reminder function. | |
| Zhi-Han et al., 20179) | Congenital and acquired | Those taking multiple drugs simultaneously are unaware of the dosage of each drug. | |
| Riewpaiboon et al., 200938) | - | Most individuals with VI rely on memory for dosage and dosing intervals. | |
| Drug information (labeling) | Madrigal-Cadavid et al., 202021) | - | It is difficult to access information on drug labels (e.g., dose, complex formulations) |
| Nedovic et al., 201925) | - | - Braille and font size laws are needed for label recognition to assist those with VI. - A label is needed to help those with VI identify drug packages. |
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| Sansgiry et al., 201233) | - | - Labels for OTC drugs are difficult to read. - Most individuals with VI depend on family members or use assistive devices (e.g., Braille, voice recorders) to obtain information regarding medicines. |
|
| Riewpaiboon et al., 200938) | - | 64% of the interviewees expressed the need for a drug label in Braille. | |
| Communication | Almukainzi et al., 202022) | Blindness/congenital | Although Braille was considered the most effective way to communicate drug information, 11% of participants could not read Braille. |
| Lee et al., 201924) | - | Although pharmacists and doctors (61.6%) are the main drug information sources, only 22.2% of the pharmacists used Braille for medication guidance. | |
| Killick et al., 201827) | - | - Misunderstanding by pharmacy staffs that blind people can read drug labels Although most (91%) survey participants used Braille, only 18% received a Braille label with their medication. | |
| Koo et al., 201631) | 1st/2nd grade/congenital and acquired | - Insufficient explanation regarding the side effects of the medication by pharmacists. - High demand for asking questions to pharmacists to acquire drug information. - Lack of trust in pharmacists |
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| Harrison et al., 201036) | Blindness | - Unable to read the document that must be filled to inform healthcare providers of their information. - Individuals had a negative experience, in which the response of medical providers was unkind. - Medical providers do not know how to dispense medical information to those with VI. - If personal information is read aloud, privacy is not secured. |
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| Riewpaiboon et al., 200938) | - | 80.9% of the interviewees expressed the need for friendly services for those with VI. |
OTC: over-the-counter, VI: visually impaired or visual impairment