If you don’t take them each day as directed, medications just will not work. That means with each forgotten dose, your health may suffer. How does one remember to take medications and/or vitamins each day? I have been searching for that answer and come up with a few simple solutions in a quest for a a method to help me remember to take my daily vitamins.
Option 1 is having an alarm alert you to the times when you should be taking your medication.
For the technology savvy medication/vitamin users with smartphones. Simply download a free medication reminder app, enter your medications/vitamins and the time(s) you take them and away you go. A few free user friendly apps I found were the CardioSmart® Med Reminder (which can be used even if you are only taking vitamins) and Dosecast®. Both are easy to use however the CardioSmart® Med Reminder has many extra features for a more advanced user. Both of these apps track how many doses you miss and if you have taken your medication. An alternative to an app is setting an alarm on your phone that goes off each day at the time(s) you need to take your pills. This will remind you that you need to take your pills, but will not tell you which pills you need to take.
If you aren’t technologically savvy and would like an alarm to remind you to take medications, a Med Reminder (available to purchase at Stafford Pharmacy) can be programmed for you to schedule an alarm up to 5 times per day to remind you to take your medications.
Option 2 is a simple method for those who can manage their own medications and vitamins, but don’t need a technology based solution. Simply purchase a weekly pillbox that has slots for each dose that you take during the day. Then once per week, fill the box with the medications/vitamins that you take each day. This allows you to track your medications and determine if you have missed any doses.
Option 3 is for those experiencing difficulty managing their own medications. Have your pharmacy package your medications into easy to use pillpak. Pillpaks are prepared by pharmacy staff and have your medications pre-filled into packages for an entire week. There are spaces for morning, noon, evening and bedtime doses. This allows you to see visually if you have missed a dose, and also prevents medication errors as the pharmacist checks each package for accuracy before they leave the pharmacy.
I prefer and recommend a combination of Option 1 and 2 or Option 1 and 3 for anyone taking medications more than once per day. The pillbox or pillpak made by the pharmacy organizes your medications for you, while an alarm will remind you to take them. This way you know what to take and have a continuous reminder to take them! With today’s busy lifestyle remembering to take your vitamins/medications is difficult at best. Using these simple tools will make remembering, and therefore ensuring you are doing everything you can for your health, possible.
If you have questions about pillpaks or would like your medications put into pillpaks please speak to a member of our pharmacy today! There is no additional fee for this service, only the cost of your medications billed on a monthly basis, and it may save your life, of the life of someone you know!
