title: The ability of the geriatric population to read labels on over-the-counter medication containers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A Senior Assembly Proposal was presented to the California Assembly calling for a change in over-the-counter (OTC) medication labeling to make the print more readable. It proposes that a panel of optometrists and ophthalmologists be created to define "readable" print. This proposal came about because a large segment of the 60 years and older population is unable to read the printed material on OTC medication labels.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study investigated the effects of vertical letter height and horizontal letter compression on readability. Three labels with lettering of different size and compression were used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was found that letter compression significantly affected readability while letter height was less of a factor. Results of this study suggest that the lettering on OTC medication labels should be at least 1.2mm in vertical height, or 20/40 Reduced Snellen (RS) visual acuity level, and should have no more than 40 characters per inch.
authors.affiliation: New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA 02215.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gilbreath
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002140:California; D004348:Drug Labeling; D004349:Drug Packaging; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D011932:Reading; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs