Department of Ophthalmology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA.
Department of Medicine, Howard Brown Health, Chicago, IL, USA.
J Pharm Pract. 2024 Dec;37(6):1275-1282. doi: 10.1177/08971900241248503. Epub 2024 Apr 22.
Despite known recommendations regarding standards for print size and the intuitive importance of vision in reading prescription labels, the predictive nature of vision and prescription label readability remains largely undefined. Furthermore, while the importance of vision is recognized, various demographic factors associated with the ability to read prescription labels have not been fully elucidated. Describe relationships between visual acuity, point size, and readability of prescription labels and provide insight into demographic factors associated with prescription label readability. Cross-sectional examination of prescription label readability by older, community-dwelling adults. Subjects were evaluated as to demographics, visual acuity, and ability to read test instruments consisting of unaltered prescription label features of five medications dispensed by community pharmacies and two drug samples. Descriptive statistics in conjunction with a logit predictive model were employed for data analysis. Instructions for medication use were most recognizable, identified and correctly read by 95.60% of the study cohort while directions for the use of drug samples were lowest (34.91%). Among prescription label features, auxiliary labels consistently demonstrated poor readability. Level of visual acuity was statistically related to the ability to read prescription labels while identifying prescription label components increased proportionally with point size. Race, gender, and history of a recent eye examination were statistically significant predictors of prescription label reading ability. Visual acuity alone was found to explain approximately 26% of the variablity in ability to read Rx labels. Visual acuity is predictive of the ability to access Rx label information and should be considered a modifiable variable for improving prescription label reading ability amenable by appropriate eye care and spectacle correction.
尽管已经有关于印刷大小标准和视力在阅读处方标签方面的直观重要性的已知建议，但视力和处方标签可读性的预测性质在很大程度上仍未得到定义。此外，虽然视力的重要性已经得到认可，但与阅读处方标签能力相关的各种人口统计学因素尚未得到充分阐明。描述视力、字号和处方标签可读性之间的关系，并深入了解与处方标签可读性相关的人口统计学因素。对社区居住的老年成年人的处方标签可读性进行横断面检查。对受试者进行了人口统计学、视力和阅读测试仪器的能力评估，这些测试仪器由社区药店配药的五种药物和两种药物样本的未经更改的处方标签特征组成。采用描述性统计和对数预测模型进行数据分析。 95.60%的研究对象能够识别、辨认和正确阅读药物使用说明，而对药物样本使用说明的识别率最低（34.91%）。在处方标签特征中，辅助标签的可读性始终较差。视力水平与阅读处方标签的能力具有统计学相关性，而识别处方标签成分则与字号成正比增加。种族、性别和最近接受眼部检查的历史是阅读处方标签能力的统计学显著预测因素。视力单独可以解释大约 26%的阅读 Rx 标签能力的可变性。视力可预测获取 Rx 标签信息的能力，并且应该被视为改善处方标签阅读能力的可修改变量，这可以通过适当的眼科护理和眼镜矫正来实现。
