CVS Pharmacy announced that it has developed Spoken Rx™, a new feature of the CVS Pharmacy app that can read a specific type of label for patients with visual impairments and those who cannot read standard print labels.When the special RFID (radio frequency identification) labels are scanned by Spoken Rx in the CVS Pharmacy app (which can be accessed by users using Siri or Google Assistant on their phones), prescription label information will be spoken out loud. RFID is a type of tracking system that uses smart barcodes in order to identify items. This information currently includes patient name, medication name, dosage and directions, and will be enhanced to include additional information over the months to come. [SEE UPDATE AT THE END OF THIS POST]
Spoken Rx is easy to use:
- Go to the app's Pharmacy section and tap the Spoken Rx icon.
- When prompted, hold your tagged prescription within 4 inches of the phone.
- The app will scan your tag and start reading the Rx name and instructions out loud.
(Additional information will be read aloud in future app updates.)
Enrollment in the program can be done either over the phone or in store, where a pharmacist can ensure the patient's app is appropriately set up for the service. Spoken Rx is free to CVS Pharmacy patients, and the app will read prescription label information aloud in either English or Spanish.
By the end of 2020, 1,500 CVS Pharmacy locations will be equipped to affix the special RFID labels to prescription vials. Spoken Rx will be available in all CVS Pharmacy locations by the end of 2021.
Today's announcement is the result of collaboration between CVS Pharmacy and the American Council of the Blind, which worked with CVS and tested the technology throughout its development.
"Spoken Rx is a positive step that offers same-day access for prescriptions filled in CVS stores, allowing for a greater level of privacy, safety, and independence for blind and visually impaired customers of all ages," said Kim Charlson, immediate past president of the American Council of the Blind. "We're pleased about this addition to the existing braille, audio, and large print accessible prescription label offerings provided by CVS Caremark and CVS.COM."
[AUGUST 2020 UPDATE]
Recently, almost 600 more CVS pharmacies in New York, the District of Columbia, and 22 other states have begun offering access to the Spoken RX app. If you'd like assistance in getting your CVS pharmacy connected to the app, ACB immediate past president Kim Charlson invites you to e-mail her, at: kimcharlson@acb.org, or call her, at 617-501-5752
For more information on Spoken Rx and a list of active stores, please visit the CVS Pharmacy website.