Aug. 06--For those without sight, everyday chores like taking prescription medicine can quickly turn into an exercise in frustration. Though most prescription pills come in certain shapes that make them identifiable by touch, an innocent mistake can result in dire health consequences.
That's why Miranda Morse, vice president of the Southeast Iowa chapter of National Federation of the Blind of Iowa, has spent the past year trying to convince area pharmacies to use talking prescription bottles. So far, only two pharmacies have jumped on board.
"For the first time, I and other southeastern Iowans who cannot read a prescription bottle can get a prescription from a pharmacy and know what it is, how often to take it and if it should be taken with food," Morse said.
Though the technology itself is nearly a decade old, Morse, NFBI member Jerry Jackson and his wife and project coordinator Nora Jackson first found out about the device at a NFBI conference a couple of years ago.
The answering machine-size device, called ScripTalk, scans a small computer chip placed on the bottom of the bottle, prompting a digitally generated voice to read the prescription label out loud, articulating both the name of the drug and the recommended dosage.
Jerry Jackson has been using the device for the last five months, and it has made his life just a little bit easier.
"Once in a while, I don't use a bottle for a while, and I forget which one is which," he said.
Morse and Nora Jackson introduced the product to nearly every pharmacy within a 40-mile radius of Burlington, but only two have started using it -- Rashid Pharmacy in Fort Madison and the Hy-Vee pharmacy in Wapello.
So far, there are no pharmacies in Burlington that use the device.
"A lot of the pharmacies didn't want to deal with it right away," Jerry Jackson said.
ScripTalk has been in use for nearly a year at the Rashid Pharmacy, where six readable computer chips are in constant rotation. While the customer base is limited, the expenses for the pharmacy are fairly low. A $6,000 grant from the Community Endowment Foundation at Great River Medical Center made it possible to purchase between 20 and 25 of the ScripTalk machines. The chips themselves are only $1, and the pharmacy pays only $500 for the computer software.
"It's new technology, and it's a little slower to be adopted," said Tom Nelson, pharmacist for Rashid Pharmacy. "The biggest barrier is the cost of the machine to the patients. We are trying to promote independence for blind people."
The ScripTalk machines sell for $225, but those who qualify can receive financial assistance from the NFBI. Morse said the machines are not covered by insurance in most cases, but those who contact the NFBI will get the machine for free while the supplies last.
"It's a very simple unit. It only has three buttons," Morse said.
The machines also are available in the pharmacies that use the chips, and those who purchase them can receive a refund from the NFBI after registering. Morse said the ScripTalk is also very useful for senior citizens losing their eyesight.
"We hope to demonstrate that there is a need in our community for access to prescription bottle information, not only for the blind and visually impaired people in our community, but also for those who are unable to read the printed words on the bottle," Nora Jackson said.
With more than 50,000 national members and about 20 local members, the NFB is the largest organization of blind people in the United States. Founded in 1940, the purpose of the NFB is the complete integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality. That also involves informing blind citizens of smaller communities like Burlington about services that are available, such as scholarships for blind students.
To register for a ScripTalk device, call the Southeast Iowa Chapter of the NFBI at (319) 752-4179.
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