8 Tips for Keeping Track of Your Medications

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8 Tips for Keeping Track of Your Medications

Never miss another dose and make your doctor proud.

Keeping track of medications can be a difficult task.

Here are some tips to help you take your medicines on time

and never run out of refills.

Keep a list and check it twice! Make a list of all the

medications you're currently taking and all the medications

you have ever taken. Try to include the dates and dosages.

Take your list with to you to each doctor's appointment help

you remember which drugs you're taking. You can also keep a

copy in your wallet or purse for medical professionals to

find if you are ever in an accident. I've created a blank

list in Microsoft Excel format to get you started: Meds.xls

Try a dry erase board! You can find these handy boards in

just about any discount store that carries school supplies.

It's a great tool to keep track of your medication doses. I

found this to be especially helpful when taking pain

medication, as these drugs left me a little fuzzyheaded, and

unable to remember the time of my last dose.

Write out the times of day on the board along with the

medications you should be taking at that time. As you take

your meds, put a little check mark next to each one. The

next morning, erase your check marks and start all over

again.

Get digital! There are countless watches, PDAs/Palmtops,

cell phones, electronic organizers, and other gadgets that

have built-in alarms. Get out that instruction booklet and

learn how to use them! Set up multiple alarms if necessary,

and never forget your meds again.

The tried and true pill case! Take a look around your local

pharmacy counter, and you're likely to see a variety of

different pill cases. Take a look around and see which one

will work best for your schedule and lifestyle. I have one

which has 7 holders (one for each day of the week), each of

which has 4 compartments (morning, noon, evening, bedtime)

and all fit into a handy little tray. I can take the holder

out in the morning when I take my morning meds, stick it in

my purse and I have my next dose with me no matter where I

am.

Get organized once a week! Every Sunday night, spend a few

minutes and divide your doses for the next week into your

pill case. You only have to struggle with your pill schedule

one time each week, and then you don't have to think about

it again.

Don't keep pills in the bathroom! We all have the tendency

to put our drugs in the " medicine cabinet " in the bathroom.

Not a good idea! The heat and humidity from the bathtub or

shower can have an adverse affect on your meds. In addition,

it can be very easy to drop pills in the sink or toilet

(admit it - you've done it!), and that's literally money

down the drain.

Get those refills! Refill medications several days before

running out. Here's where your digital device, an on-line

drugstore, or even a calendar can come in handy. Set an

alarm, write notes in your calendar, or sign up for email

reminders from an Internet drugstore several days before

your last dose is scheduled to run out. Call in for your

refill right away, leaving 4-5 days for shipping if

necessary. The extra days will be useful if your pharmacy is

out of stock or backed up with orders.

Refills by mail! Check to see if your insurance carrier has

a mail order program for medications. This is a great tool

for maintenance medications (medications that are taken

every day for a long period of time). You may be able to

receive a 90-day supply of your medication all at once at a

reduced cost.

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