Managing multiple medications without getting in a muddle
It’s not unusual to have to juggle multiple medications. Some treatments require several medications, while some people have more than one condition for which they require treatment. You might think that taking medication wouldn’t be that hard to do, but it can get confusing when you have to remember different medications, dosages and times.
If you or someone you care for has multiple medications to manage, there are some excellent ways to remember medication. Having a few tips and tricks up your sleeve will make it easier to remember what to take (or administer) and when. Take a look at our best tips for managing multiple medications and you can make it simpler to stay on track.
Make Use of Your Pharmacist
You might not realise just how helpful your local pharmacist can be. As well as dispensing medications, they can also provide a range of other services, including offering medical advice. The pharmacy can help you to manage your medications in a few different ways.
Firstly, a pharmacist can offer you advice, particularly concerning your medications. Filling all prescriptions at the same pharmacy helps your pharmacist to see whether there might be any potential interactions between drugs. When filling your prescriptions, the pharmacist can also make sure you have labels that are easy to read, as well as clear instructions.
Your pharmacist can also help you with repeat prescriptions. With permission from your GP, your pharmacist will help you to access the repeat prescriptions service so that it’s easier to manage ongoing medications. They might also be able to give you an emergency supply of medicine, as well as dispose of any unwanted or outdated medications. Pharmacists can make sure you know how to take medicines correctly, and help you understand the dosage.
If you use the repeat prescription service, this will mean you will be able to get a new prescription from your chosen pharmacist, meaning fewer trips to your GP. You will need to contact your pharmacy a few days in advance of your medication running out to ask for a new prescription. The pharmacist will also discuss whether you have experienced any side effects and may discuss this with you and your GP if necessary.
Use a Pill Box
When you have a number of different pills to take, a pill box can be extremely useful. It allows you to organise your pills into sections, so you can take them at the right time.
There are several types of pill boxes that you can buy for help with remembering medication. A weekly medication box gives you a section for each day of the week. It might also have sections for AM and PM, or sometimes three or four sections for different times of the day. You can also buy monthly pill boxes if you want to organise a whole month’s medication.
A pill box is a handy way to separate out your medications for different days and times. Many boxes have individual sections or compartments that you can detach, and are useful to take out of the house with you. Some pill boxes even have alarms or reminders to let you know when it’s time to take something.
A pill box is a convenient and simple tool that you can keep wherever it makes sense for you. Put it somewhere you will see it, so it reminds you about medication at the appropriate times.
Use a Pill Reminder App
A pill reminder app is another great tool to use if you need some help with managing multiple medications. It can be used to give you a medication reminder whenever you need it.
Using our medication reminder app, you simply need to input the relevant information for each of your medications. Add a medication, the dosage and when it needs to be taken and get a reminder when you need it. The app keeps a library of all of the medications that have been entered, and reminders can be turned on and off. This is useful if you’re taking a break from a particular medication, but don’t want to remove it from the app.
The app asks the user to input whether they have taken a medication or missed it, and keeps this data. You can then refer to this information when consulting with your doctor or other medical professionals.
A pill reminder app can be excellent to use together with a pill box, so you have all of your medications organised and a reminder of when to take them
