Tips to ensure you take medication correctly:
Ask your doctor the ideal time to take each prescription medication, and use one or more of the following reminder techniques:
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Get into a routine. If you are only taking one or two medications, simply getting into the routine of taking them when you wake up, at a mealtime, or at bedtime can ensure you are taking your medication as directed.
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Use a chart or calendar. For people who rely on calendars to keep their schedule or who respond well to visual cues, incorporating prescription medication times into a chart or calendar can serve as a reminder.
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Use a pill organizer. Put your medications into a weekly or monthly pillbox to erase any confusion about whether you have taken your medication yet. There are a variety of these organizers available, ranging from those with enough compartments for two or more daily doses for each day of the week to those that sound an alarm when it’s time to take the medication.
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Use a reminder service. If health issues make it hard to remember when to take prescription medications, consider a medical alert company that places reminder calls when it’s time to take the next dose.
Helping Seniors Manage Their
Prescription Medications
The more drugs you take, the easier it is to miss a dose or make a mistake.
Follow these tips for keeping your prescription medications organized:
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Make a list. Keep an updated list of all your over-the-counter and prescription medications with you at all times so you can share it with each member of your health care team when you go to doctor visits and get prescriptions filled. Include the name of each medication you are taking, the dosage information, and the reason you are taking it.
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Maintain a prescription medication file. After you read the written material that accompanies your prescription medication, file it in a place where you can find it easily should you ever have questions about dosage or side effects.
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Use one pharmacy. If possible, have all of your medications filled at the same pharmacy, so that your pharmacist can track them all and alert you to possible drug interactions.
Taking Your Prescription Medication:
When you’re taking more than one prescription medication, it is easy to forget a dose. But this can be a costly mistake, since skipping a dose of your medication can be dangerous.