Proper organization is key to managing your medications. Here are some organizational tips to help manage your medications and take them timely and safely.
1. Use A Daily Pill Organizer
If you have to take different types of medications throughout the day, you should opt for a pill organizer. The pill organizer has seven or more compartments to hold each day’s worth of medications. Make sure you keep the dosage schedule nearby to ensure that your medications are taken on a timely basis. The dosage schedule will include a physical description of each pill such as “large white pill” or “blue pill.” The only drawback is when you have children. In such a case, a pill organizer won’t be the best way to organize your medications. Pills can be ingested accidentally or even disorganized and result in potential overdosing. Another drawback of a pill organizer is when you have a lot of medications that cannot fit into one compartment.
2. Create A Dosing Schedule Chart
A dosage schedule chart is another effective way to manage your medications. You can use a computer-generated spreadsheet or word processing program for this purpose. List the names of all the medications, the times you need to take the medications, and space by each dose. That way you can check off when each medication is taken. If you have medications that are given “as needed,” you should include why they are taken. You should include the reason the medication is needed such as “for nausea” or any other reason. If there are medications that require refrigeration, make sure to note down it.
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3. Make A List Of All Your Medications
Make a list of the medications you take including the name of the drug, frequency, dosage, side effects, and when the medication has to be stopped. Make sure to include any allergies you have to certain medications. Make several copies of this list and give them to your healthcare provider or pharmacist at appointments. Have a soft copy on your mobile phone or computer so that you can add new medications in the future. You can then print out copies as required.
4. Use A Medication App
Today, there are a wide variety of apps to manage your medications. If you use a smartphone or tablet, you can make use of these apps to look up information about drugs, set up the medication schedule, as well as get reminders to take your medications. There are many free apps that you can make use of for this purpose.
5. Check Prescription Labels Often
Check the expiry date and refill information when looking at prescription labels. You should discard the old medications properly and call your pharmacist before you run out of your medications. This is the case for both mainstream and also herbal medicines. That way you won’t miss out on any doses. If you need a refill on medications with no refills left, call your healthcare provider in time so that he or she has enough time to call the pharmacist.
6. Use A Pill Reminder App Or Gadget
There are different electronic pill reminders at varying prices. You can include the name of the medication, the frequency you need to take it, and whether you need to take it with or without food. The device will sound an alarm to alert you when you need to take a particular medication. There are also electronic pill reminders that talk and relay the message verbally.
You can also set up pill reminders with smartphone apps. But if you are old-school, an electronic pill reminder will work best for you.
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