How Pharmacists Can Improve Medication Safety for Patients with Hearing and Vision Impairments
/Making Medication Instructions Accessible: Communication Tips for Pharmacists Serving Patients with Hearing and Vision Loss
As pharmacists, we know that ensuring patients understand how to take their medication is just as important as dispensing it. But when patients live with hearing and/or vision loss, communication becomes more complex. Labels may be unreadable. Verbal counseling may be missed. And the risks—from non-adherence to adverse events—rise significantly.
Why Accessibility Matters in Pharmacy
Hearing and vision loss increase with age and socioeconomic factors. Many older adults live with dual sensory loss (DSL), where both hearing and sight are diminished. Studies show that patients with DSL often experience higher levels of frustration, fear, and anger when communication breaks down—making it harder for them to follow their care plan and trust their providers.
For pharmacists, this means that cultural competence and accessibility aren’t “extras”—they are critical components of safe, ethical, and compassionate care.
Practical Tips You Can Use in the Pharmacy
Here are strategies that can help bridge the gap:
Labeling Medications Safely
Tactile cues: One rubber band, bump dot, or sticker can signal once-daily dosing; two can indicate twice daily. This also helps patients track which bottles are “active.”
Large print and color coding: Increase readability with high-contrast, larger fonts.
Technology:
Audio & RFID tags allow patients to hear instructions.
Apps like Be My Eyes AI can read labels aloud, though pharmacists should caution patients that AI may make errors.
ScriptTalk (talking prescription labels) is now available in many states and helps ensure accurate, independent medication use.
👉 For more details, see the American Foundation for the Blind’s Guidelines for Prescription Labeling.
Communication Best Practices
Lower your pitch instead of raising your voice. Yelling actually distorts soft consonants like p, s, t, th, making speech less clear.
Check for understanding. Don’t just ask “Do you understand?”—invite patients to repeat back instructions in their own words.
Orient and guide. If patients are unfamiliar with your pharmacy layout, provide verbal cues to help them navigate safely.
Involve caregivers when appropriate. Reinforce instructions with family members or aides, especially if multiple medications are involved.
Legal & Regulatory Context
Most states—including Oregon—require pharmacies to provide accessible prescriptions upon request. Staying compliant not only avoids legal risk but strengthens patient trust and ensures equity in care delivery.
Continuing Education for Pharmacists
For those seeking to deepen their skills, specialized CE courses in cultural competency and accessibility can be highly valuable. These courses not only fulfill licensing requirements but also provide tools you can use every day in your practice.
2-Hour CE: Effective Communication with Clients who are Hard of Hearing
4-Hour CE: Understanding the Diversity of Legal Blindness, Impacts & Solutions (also approved for 4 CE hours in Ethics)
6-Hour CE: Providing Culturally Competent Healthcare for Those Aging with Dual Sensory Impairments
These courses, taught by Deb Marinos, MS, CRC, LPC, combine over 25 years of professional and personal expertise in rehabilitation counseling and disability services.
These courses are practical, experiential, and filled with real stories. You’ll gain concrete strategies for supporting clients with progressive hearing or vision loss, recognizing denial, and fostering hope.
What You Will Gain
Prevent social isolation and despair
Understand how to support progressive loss
Improve connection & communication
Use easy, low‑ or no‑cost strategies to increase access
Apply real‑world examples and solutions immediately
About the Instructor
Deb Marinos, MS – Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, Oregon Licensed Professional Counselor, and CMBM Mind‑Body Skills Group Facilitator. With over 25 years teaching continuing education and working directly with hundreds of people experiencing sensory loss and disability, Deb brings practical, engaging, and compassionate training.
Take the Next Step
You can learn enough in these courses to make a real difference for yourself, your clients, and your community. Explore the options and register today:
Final Takeaway
Pharmacists play a critical role in making healthcare accessible. By adopting simple strategies—like tactile labels, accessible technologies, and culturally competent communication—you can dramatically improve safety, reduce errors, and empower patients living with hearing and vision loss.
When patients can truly understand their medications, they’re more likely to use them correctly—and that means better outcomes, stronger trust, and safer communities.