RNIB reports medicines 'inaccessible' to blind

Visually impaired patients were found to be at greater risk from medicines and medical devices which were not made safe or accessible to them, according to research.

In the Safety Gap' report by the Royal National Institute of Blind People, commissioned by the patient safety commissioner, blind people were found to have difficulties handling and administering treatments to manage their conditions, from the design of medicine packaging through to inaccessible information about how to use medical devices and the ordering of medicines, especially with diabetes-specific devices and technologies. 

Twenty recommended changes were made to manufacturers and regulators to better accommodate patients with sensory impairments.