Find out how pharmacy teams can help make sure people with sight loss can access essential medicines and information about them
Patient experience
Key information and statistics on sight loss in the UK
Tips on how to support people with sight loss
Guidance
Further Information and resources
Patient experience
In line with our equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy, we are committed to supporting pharmacy teams to deliver person-centred and inclusive care, with a focus on tackling health inequalities in the communities they serve.
Part of our strategy is about reflecting the lived experience of stakeholders in our regulatory work and acting on feedback and ideas about the issues that matter to people from an equality point of view.
Recently, we have heard from a patient about the impact of inadvertent obstruction of braille labels on medicine packaging by additional dispensing labels applied by pharmacy teams.
While the application of these supplementary labels is often well-intentioned, aiming to provide important medication details, it can inadvertently compromise the accessibility of the original braille information.
A patient contacted us to say:
“As a blind person it is very helpful to find an increasing range of medicines that have their name in braille on the box or bottle. However, what is frustrating is the large number of occasions when I find the dispensing label has been placed on top of the braille, even though there is a separate blank space for the label to be placed on. Would it be possible to get a message to pharmacists highlighting the importance of not covering the braille up?”
Key information and statistics on sight loss in the UK
Data from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) highlights that:
- there are over 2 million people in the UK living with sight loss
- 320,000 people are registered blind or partially sighted in the UK
- nearly 80 per cent are 65 or older, and around 60 per cent are 75+, and age is a significant risk factor related to eye health and sight loss
- well over half of people with sight loss are women
- people from certain ethnic minority groups are at greater risk of some of the leading causes of sight loss
- certain ethnic groups do have a greater risk of developing some of the leading causes of sight loss, for example:
- Black African and Caribbean people are four to eight times more at risk of developing certain forms of glaucoma
- the risk of diabetic eye disease is around three times greater in South Asian people
- Black African and Caribbean people are also at a higher risk of diabetic eye disease
- there is also evidence that people from ethnic minority backgrounds experience barriers to accessing eye health care, which will increase their risk of avoidable sight loss
Visual impairment
Visual impairment covers a spectrum of sight loss ranging from general visual decline through to blindness.
Tips on how to support people with sight loss
We worked with RNIB who gave us the advice below for pharmacy professionals on labelling medicines and how to support patients with sight loss.
Generic medications
If you change the brand of medication, ensure you let the patient know, as they may be relying on the colour or shape of the box, and size and colour of the tablet to know which tablet is which. Remember too, that as you get older the prevalence of sight loss increases along with co-morbidities, therefore people with sight loss are generally more likely to be taking medicines.
Asking patients about their preferred format for information
Sight loss is a spectrum- many patients have sight loss but are not eligible to register as sight impaired. Other alternative formats which people with sight loss may use include large print, electronic documents, and audio.
Eye drops
Patients who regularly use eye drops can find them very difficult to administer (even if they don’t have sight loss it can be difficult). Ask if they are experiencing any difficulties, it is a good opportunity in a safe space to do so if they are too embarrassed to tell their consultant or healthcare provider. Make use of resources such as the Know Your Drops campaign or local ECLO (eye clinic liaison officer), which could lead to a sight-saving intervention.
Ordering prescriptions
If you have a pharmacy app or online system to support repeat prescriptions, check that it meets accessible guidelines. Carry out an audit of your processes and environment to ensure your digital communications and the pharmacy’s physical layout is accessible.
Guidance
Our equality guidance for pharmacies emphasises the importance of ensuring that information is clear, accessible and meets the needs of people who share different protected characteristics. When pharmacy teams cover braille labels with additional dispensing labels, they risk undermining this essential principle, potentially limiting the ability of visually impaired patients to independently access and understand vital medication information.
We urge pharmacy teams to exercise caution and diligence when applying any supplementary labels to medicine packaging, particularly for patients with sight loss.
Advice on preserving the accessibility of braille labelling
Consider this advice to help make sure braille labelling is accessible.
Carefully assess the placement of additional labels
Ensure that any dispensing labels are positioned in a way that where possible they do not obscure or cover the original braille information on the packaging.
Prioritise the visibility of braille labels
When applying supplementary labels, make every effort to maintain the legibility and accessibility of the existing braille labelling.
Provide alternative accessibility options
In addition to preserving braille labels, consider offering other accessibility aids, such as large-print labels or audio recordings of medication information, to cater to the diverse needs of visually impaired patients.
Engage with visually impaired patients
Seek feedback from patients with visual impairments to better understand their needs and preferences regarding medication packaging and labelling. This can help inform more inclusive practices.
Implement training and monitoring
Ensure that all pharmacy staff are trained on the importance of preserving braille accessibility and are equipped to identify and address any instances of inadvertent obstruction.
By considering the advice outlined above, pharmacy teams can uphold their responsibility to support the accessibility of medicines while prioritising the safe and effective use of medications. Through a proactive and inclusive approach, the pharmacy team can continue to serve the diverse needs of the community and promote equitable access to essential healthcare.
Further information and resources
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has a guideline for the naming of medicinal products and braille requirements for the name on the medicine label
The MHRA guidance on medicines packaging, labelling and patient information leaflets outlines how to package medicines for sale and what information you must provide to consumers and healthcare professionals.
The Pharmaceutical Journal published an article which gives more information on how to support patients with sight loss in pharmacy
See the article How to support patients with sight loss in pharmacy