PERSONAL HEALTH

Medicine, Rx and Prescription and Over the Counter pill management is becoming a national cause among health practitioners and patients alike. Manage the medicine you take from vitamins to prescription medications with pill sorters, daily pill boxes and electronic organizers. Also find medical records management and designer pill boxes for seniors, boomers and the aging population.

It's smart to start minding your meds more closely in order to AgeWell:

Many people take several prescription medications, and the more you take for the more conditions you develop, the greater the chance that you’ll experience dangerous side effects as the result of medications interacting or because you mistakenly take the wrong drug or dose. You can help avoid these problems by getting organized and making sure your medical team and pharmacist know about all of the prescription drugs you’re taking.

Keep your prescription medications organized:

Make a list of your meds and update it whenever required.

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 of your doctors when you go on clinical/hospital visits and/or get prescriptions filled. Include the name of each medication you are taking, along with the dosage and the reason you are taking it.  

Keep a file for each of your meds:

After you read the written material that accompanies your prescription, file it where you can find it. Easily... should you ever have questions about dosage or side effects.

Use a single pharmacy to help manage your medications. If possible, have all of your medications filled at the same druggist, so that your pharmacist can track them all and educate you on possible drug interactions.

Take Your Prescription Medication Correctly

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 is often dangerous.

Ask your doctor the ideal time to take each prescription medication, and use one or more of the following reminder techniques:
 

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.