시각장애인 또는 청각장애인의 의료기관 이용 및 의약품 안전사용 저해요인 관련 심층면접조사

• Published in: 한국임상약학회지 Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 311 - 323
• Main Authors: 이수현, 최민지, 한은아, Lee, Soo-Hyun, Choi, Minji, Han, Euna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 한국임상약학회 31.12.2021
• Subjects: 약학; qualitative study; hearing-impaired; Visually impaired; in-depth interview
• ISSN: 1226-6051; 2508-786X
• DOI: 10.24304/kjcp.2021.31.4.311

Objective: The disabled are in a blind spot for obtaining information on drugs, and the pharmacies' counseling on drug use is centered on non-disabled people. Few studies have investigated the current statuses of drug use by type of disability. The purpose of this study is to understand the drug use by type of disability and by life cycle of visually impaired and hearing impaired in Korea. Methods: The study participants consisted of 16 people with visually impairments, 12 people with hearing impairments. One in-depth interview was conducted per participant, and each interview was recorded and documented. Results: Common barriers against safe medication and medical service uses across disability types are 'lack of consideration and service for the disabled, limited access to medical facilities due to disability, limited access to information regarding medication use, psychological anxiety about drug use and side effects, and inconvenience regarding COVID-19 epidemic. The specific factors were 'difficulties in identifying proper medicines and following prescribed dosages' in the case of visually impaired, and 'problems with sign language interpretation system' for the hearing impaired. Conclusion: Disabled people are hindered from using medicines properly due to various factors. Based on the content derived from this study, it is necessary to eliminate the inhibition factors and devise specific measures for the safety of each type of disorder such as developing a method for medication counseling considering disabilities and establishing communication support systems.