01/17/2026
When Efficiency Replaces Access: VA Pharmacy QR Codes Deserve a Second Look
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is moving toward greater digitization in its pharmacies, including expanded use of QR codes for medication information and reduced reliance on paper medication guides.
Modernization matters.
But access matters more.
Across many VA facilities, veterans are now expected to scan QR codes to access medication instructions, side effects, and safety information—resources that were once automatically provided in print. While this may improve efficiency and reduce costs, it assumes something that isn’t true for a large portion of the veteran population.
The Digital Divide Is a Patient Safety Issue
Many veterans served by VA are:
Older adults
Visually or cognitively impaired
Managing mental health conditions
Without smartphones, data plans, or reliable internet
Experiencing housing instability
Reliant on caregivers who may not be present at pickup
For these veterans, QR codes aren’t convenient—they’re a barrier.
Medication education isn’t optional. When instructions become harder to access, the risks are real: missed doses, improper use, overlooked interactions, and unrecognized side effects.
Mental Health Medications Raise the Stakes
This shift is especially concerning for psychiatric medications, where understanding titration schedules, black-box warnings, and withdrawal risks is critical. Expecting veterans managing PTSD, depression, or TBI to navigate QR codes and online content—often at the pharmacy counter—adds friction at exactly the wrong moment.
Paper instructions aren’t outdated.
They’re accessible.
Caregivers Are Being Left Out
Paper medication guides travel with the prescription.
QR codes often don’t.
When medication education becomes device-dependent, caregivers lose visibility unless they’re present, tech-savvy, and equipped. That’s not modernization—it’s fragmentation.
Efficiency Should Never Trump Equity
VA’s mission isn’t to operate like the private sector. It’s to deliver veteran-centered, equitable care.
A system that works for a digitally fluent veteran may fail a Vietnam-era veteran with limited vision and no smartphone.
Healthcare systems don’t get to modernize for only part of their population.
A Better Path Forward
This isn’t an argument against technology. It’s an argument for balance:
Default paper medication guides for high-risk drugs
Opt-out digital policies—not opt-in paper
Clear communication that printed materials are available
Training pharmacy staff to recognize when paper should be the default
Caregiver-friendly access options
Final Thought
QR codes are a tool—not a solution.
If pharmacy modernization results in fewer veterans fully understanding their medications, then efficiency has come at too high a cost.
Veterans earned clarity, safety, and access—not a scan code and a hope that technology fills the gap.
