Organizing the Medications

Taking a double dosage of your pills is no fun - ask my friend who did this a couple weeks ago. Fortunately, while she felt pretty ill for a day or so, there were no more serious effects.

Consumer Reports just reminded me that they have a guide to managing multiple medications. They emphasize making sure all the medications are really needed, and then provide these suggestions (among others):

- Keep a written schedule of the pills you take, how often to take them, and any special directions. Update the record as your prescriptions change.

- Take medicines at the same time each day, and, if necessary, use calendars, timers, or pillboxes that remind you which drugs to take and when.

- Keep medicines where you’ll notice them. But don’t store them in bathroom medicine cabinets where they’re exposed to damaging humidity and heat.

- Know what to do if you miss a dose or inadvertently take an extra one.

- Order refills in time to avoid treatment gaps and lapses.

Caregiver.com has a more detailed list of medication management suggestions that are well worth a read.

There's a huge range of pill cases (and other reminders) available to help manage medications - the pill boxes above, with four compartments per day, was the one that worked well for my mom.




If you want a truly beautiful one, take a look at the 7-day medication minders from Pascoe's wood art. They're available in a number of different woods.


Related Post: Medical Records at Your Fingertips