[Diabetes-talk] ScriptTalker, another discouraging development

[Debbie Wunder]

Julie, if you are unable to label the bottle with a Braille dymo labeler, 
and then poor the new prescription into the same bottle month after month, 
this is what  and I do. You might consider writing an index card and putting 
it in a zip lock bag with the bottle of medicine it matches up with.
Debbie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie Kline" <julie.kline at rochester.rr.com>
To: "'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 8:07 PM
Subject: [Diabetes-talk] ScriptTalker, another discouraging development


> Good evening,
>
> I'd like to add my two cents to the topic of resolutions.  It's 
> discouraging
> that we have to deal with such a battle to get basic medical access taken
> care of.  There's a device that was being recommended by both consumer
> groups called the ScriptTalk prescription reader.  You had to use it at a
> participating pharmacy, but the nice thing about the machine was that you
> could read what was on your medication label independently and make sure 
> you
> were given the right medications at the right dosages.  There never was a
> local pharmacy in my area that participated in this program, but I did 
> find
> one here in New York state that did.  The arrangement worked out nicely 
> for
> a year or so and my medicines were mailed out.
>
> However, a couple of days ago, I learned that the company who makes the
> chips that the machine reads about tripled the costs for what pharmacies 
> pay
> to participate in this program.  My person I work with said that the 
> company
> chose to subsidize the machines for people who couldn't afford them, and 
> in
> doing the subsidy, the company decided to make up for the cost by charging
> the pharmacies more to participate in the program.  Now instead of 75 
> cents
> per chip, per bottle, the pharmacist now has to pay $3.75 per chip, per
> bottle.  My pharmacist talked to me about this and I was asked to ship my
> bottles back to him every few months so he could reuse the chips.  He said
> that was the only way he could afford to keep the program going, and even
> now he's considering dropping it.  In looking at this, I realized that I'd
> be paying a lot to ship the bottles back to him, not to mention the time
> involved in waiting for rides since there isn't a post office nor UPS 
> store
> on the way to anywhere for us.   I recognized I'd be spending more on
> shipping than my costs for what I'd pay at my local store (not to mention 
> my
> time), so now I'm forced to rely on a local pharmacy.  I have a pen friend
> system with the dots you can record information onto, but I just have to
> pray I'm given the right medicine in the right dose.  And I have to pray 
> too
> that the pharmacy will have the patience to read me that information month
> after month.  To tell the truth, it makes me nervous.  I have no way to
> check the bottles on my own now as we are both blind and have no available
> sighted assistance from friends or family.
>
> Not to bring anyone down, but I think if you are going to look at writing
> resolutions, this is another issue that really needs to be addressed.  At
> the least it's a discouraging development.  At most, for people who take
> high volumes of different medications, not knowing about dosages,
> interactions, or even mistaking which pill is what, could be life
> threatening.
>
> Julie
>
>
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