What kind of a person uses this tiny scale for printing, especially when imparting warnings about dangerous situations? Is this an isolated incident? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Take out one of your credit cards and look at the phone number on the back for customer service. If you are lucky, you will be squinting at 1 point font.
According to the Vision Council of America, 75% of the adult population of the United States uses eye glasses or contact lenses. Millions of people have vision issues. Millions. So why would someone make it more difficult to read a warning, menu, price list, or exit sign?
When it comes to medication, the answer is money. Expert opinion and research, including a 2006 report on preventing medication errors by the Institute of Medicine, all support larger fonts for medication labels. The Institute estimated that more than 500,000 preventable medication errors occur among Medicare recipients each year. The report found that drug labeling is a main source of error. Yet, in California, the retail lobbyists and chain-pharmacy interests have swayed pharmacy boards from implementing changes requiring 12 point font for all labels and information. Pharmacies have claimed that new labels would cost more and require larger bottles. Yes. Exactly.
We need to speak up. When policies create barriers for people, we, the people, need to make that clear, not only when it effects us personally, but because we are building a more perfect union, one that is both inclusive and diverse. Right!?
So, people, here is the contact information for several of the major pharmacies in the United States. Make your voice heard.
- Walgreens: 1-800-925-4733. Walgreen Company, 200 Wilmot Road, Deerfield, IL 60015
- Rite Aid: 1-800-RITEAID (1-800-748-3243). Rite Aid Corporation Customer Support, P.O. Box 3165, Harrisburg, PA 17105
- CVS Pharmacy: 1-800-SHOP-CVS (1-800-746-7287). CVS Corporation Customer Relations, One CVS Drive, Woonsocket, RI 02895
For more coverage of this issue, try these sources:
Recent Comments