|April 17, 2008 From: Laura Harris, Director of Media Relations
(318) 342 - 5447, email@example.com Zagar and ULM student
pharmacists develop safer medication management methods for low
vision patients Understanding that patients with low vision
problems may have difficulty or complete inability to read
medication labels on prescription vials, ULM College of Pharmacy
instructor Dr. Michelle Zagar assigned a project that would help
her students relate to patients with visual impairments. Zagar's
students were assigned to wear goggles designed to simulate
conditions of various low vision diseases. Low vision is an
impairment that primarily affects people over the age of 65. The
condition is usually the result of eye diseases such as
cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular
degeneration and currently affects more than 6.3 million
Americans. Vision related conditions may contribute to patients
taking incorrect doses, thus leading to overdoses or inadequate
treatment of health problems. The