By Jordan Moon
Ever have trouble remembering which prescription container was which or the directions for a certain medicine? A new prescription service designed for the blind and visually impaired shows Walmart understands.
Since June 2012, Walmart started testing a program with En-Vision America, called ScripTalk, to help those who cannot read the small print that comes standard on most prescription labels.
ScripTalk is being offered to customers with visual impairments across the country through Walmart Mail Order and in one test store in the Valley—the Christown location at 1703 West Bethany Home Road. The program is free to Walmart pharmacy customers who are blind or visually-impaired.
“Walmart is pioneering a service for the visually impaired,” Marc Ashton, CEO of Foundation for Blind Children said. “With more than 20 million Americans living with significant vision loss, it’s easy to see how many people will benefit.”
Using ScripTalk, a person hears information about the prescription , including the dose, directions and number of refills. A prescription provided with ScripTalk features an electric chip embedded in the standard print label. To hear the information on the chip, users place the prescription contained over the ScripTalk and push the "Read" button. Users can move through the information by using the "Prev" and the "Next" buttons.
“We have customers who are very, very happy with this program,” said Stefany Collins, a pharmacist at the Christown Walmart. “There are a number of people who very much benefit from the ScripTalk service.”
To order ScripTalk, a Walmart pharmacy customer must first call En-Vision America at 800-890-1180 and a device will be mailed to them, free of charge. Once the device is received, the customer lets the Walmart pharmacist know he/she wants the talking prescription label. In order to reach the Walmart Mail Order prescription service, call (800) 273-3455. Christown customers can pick up the ScripTalk device and the prescriptions with the electric chip in the store.
“Hopefully it will continue to grow so that even more people who need it can receive the service, ” Collins said.
Contact information:
Walmart - Christown location
Address: 1703 West Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, AZ 85015
PH: (602) 246-6601
Walmart Mail Order service:
PH: (800) 273-3455
En-Vision America
PH: (800) 890-1180
Website: http://www.envisionamerica.com/
