Case Study: GuildLink achieves audio accessibility for consumer medicines information with Appen's text-to-speech solution

GuildLink worked with us to convert text to speech quickly and accurately with the help of our global crowd

GuildLink, an Australian pharmacy software company and part of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, needed a fast, accurate way to make Consumer Medicines Information (CMIs) accessible beyond printed leaflets. CMIs change frequently and traditional paper updates are slow and costly, so GuildLink wanted audio versions to serve people with impaired vision, non‑English backgrounds, or learning disabilities. To meet this need it engaged Appen for text‑to‑speech conversion services.

Appen built a tailored solution—creating a custom Australian English lexicon, processing GuildLink’s XML CMIs into plain text, feeding formatted segments to a TTS engine, and delivering concatenated MP3s for distribution. The service lets GuildLink update audio CMIs rapidly (new text is processed as companies submit updates and lexicon additions monthly), made GuildLink the first company to provide audio CMIs globally, and helped secure partnerships with government sites such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration—demonstrating Appen’s measurable impact on accessibility and dissemination of medicines information.

GuildLink

Anna Paonne

Key Account and Business Development Manager