(4) APhA-ASP supports the inclusion of a picture of the medication (both front and back views) to be incorporated into all dispensed medication information leaflets given to patients with their prescriptions.

R2 PRT: Provision of medication images on dispensed patient information leaflets - Wording/action:
(4) APhA-ASP supports the inclusion of a picture of the medication (both front and back views) to be incorporated into all dispensed medication information leaflets given to patients with their prescriptions.

Reasons for the Action(s) / Pros and Cons:

As the proportion of elderly patients in the United States is increasing at a rapid rate and is expected to keep rising with the Baby Boomers, it’s important to make accommodations for the elderly population. Often times, elderly patients recognize their medications not by their name, not by their drug class, but by their appearance. This would also help to alert elderly patients if their medication changes generic, as the change would be indicated by a different picture- this would not replace the pharmacists’ counseling, but rather to give a reference if using such medication storage options such as pill boxes.

It could provide another vehicle for tablet identification, not only in the elderly, but in those patients who are illiterate or who speak another language more fluently than English who might have trouble with medication names.

This could be a benefit for caretakers of patients, as often times if pills are not kept in their original bottles, it’s hard to tell which drug is which if you have no formal training.

This could serve to increase patient confidence that they are receiving the correct medication- especially with all of the reports in the news today about patients being given the wrong medication.

This could be easily added to the computer programs and be set to print out right under the medication trade name and generic name.

Jennifer Caggiano ; 570-470-0820 ; jmc74@temple.edu ;
Temple University School of Pharmacy