Have you just started a new treatment regimen and need to take pills every day? Would you like to have the consistency of taking a multivitamin daily? Remembering your medications every day can be a daunting task, but essential for your health. If you are the forgetful type, or just have too many medicines to keep in mind, this guide will help you not to forget a single one.
Steps
Step 1. Use a calendar
You could buy a calendar to hang in your room, where you can make notes to look at each day. Or you can search the internet for free electronic calendars or use the electronic diary on your computer or smartphone. Some of these programs allow you to add notes, and automatically send you reminders via email or SMS.
Step 2. Visual reminder messages
- Place the medicines next to something you are sure to use on a daily basis. For example, if you have morning therapy, place your medicines next to the coffee pot before going to sleep if you make coffee for breakfast. Or, with Velcro, attach the medicine bottle or pill box to the toothbrush. There are also devices that notify you with a reminder when it's time to take therapy.
- Make it a routine. If you take a pill every morning, get used to taking it as soon as you get out of bed or shower.
- Get some post-its to leave in the kitchen, in your car, or anywhere else you usually go. For medications you keep in the fridge, place a post-it note on the fridge door or coffee pot that says Take Pills.
- For medicines to take with meals, keep them handy on the table, perhaps in the place where you usually sit.
- If you spend a lot of time on your computer, you might want to save a text file on your desktop that lists all your to-dos. Instead of buying paper ones, search the internet for "electronic" post-its to display directly on your desktop. Usually these applications allow you to set alarms that at the preset time display the note or sound an alarm.
- If you have a complicated regimen, write down the list of all medications, complete with date and time, and pin it in the bathroom mirror. You can also print it in the form of a grid and tick each medicine after taking it.
Step 3. Set an alarm
This is a common and quite effective way to remember to take therapy. Most cell phones have an alarm function that allows you to set a daily alarm. Choose a particular ringtone that reminds you to take therapy. There are also specific devices for this function. Electronic reminders are extremely helpful in avoiding missing medications or missing any. If you don't have a mobile phone, set an electronic alarm or buy a digital watch, on which to set as many alarms as there are times when you need to take your pills. Another alternative is electronic kitchen timers, those with a numeric keypad. As soon as you hear the alarm, swallow the pills right away, so you will strengthen the habit. If you say to yourself, "Oh yeah, I'll do this in a couple of minutes," you'll probably end up forgetting about it, and the alarms won't do any good.
Step 4. Tidy up your medicines
Place all medications, including multivitamins, on the kitchen counter. As soon as you take a pill, close the container and move it to the left, creating a second group. Repeat for each drug you take. The ones you have yet to take must be in front of you, the ones you have already taken must be moved to the left. When you have taken all the medicines, put back the packs that you moved to the left. This way you will be sure that you have taken all the therapy. If you organize your pills in a pill box (a plastic container with prepared compartments), you will reduce the risk of taking the same dose several times by mistake: if the compartment of that day (or that time of day) is empty, then you have already taken that dose. The pill boxes that you find for sale are of different sizes and colors. Plan to have therapy ready for at least two weeks.
Step 5. Adopt the "divide and conquer" strategy
In other words, take half of your pills and store them elsewhere, for example in the office. If you happen to forget to take therapy at home, you can always do it at work.
- Always follow the directions for storing medicines, especially if you plan to store them in the dashboard of your car on a hot summer day.
- If some of your medications fall into the "controlled substances" category, skip this step and leave everything at home.
Step 6. Get someone to help you remember
Ask a friend or relative to remember to take the pills, or ask yourself if you remembered to take the therapy.
Step 7. Download a specific app
Numerous applications are available for mobile phones, smartphones or computers, created just for this purpose.
Advice
- Some drugs are not available and / or legal in other countries around the world, so please inform yourself before you leave. The use of drugs that contain "controlled substances" may not be allowed in some countries, so be sure to bring a box of medicines and, if possible, a copy of your prescription.
- When traveling, keep your medicines, prescriptions, reports and other health documents in a special bag. The prescriptions will help you to remember medications to take, dosages and intervals. Reports are useful in an emergency.
- Use your phone calendar to set up daily alarms. It is a more discreet method. If you use a corporate phone or shared calendar, mark the appointment as "private" and be vague in the event description to protect your privacy.
- On vacation, bring full packs of medications. In the event of an emergency, healthcare professionals will be able to spot the substances you are taking right away, in case you can't speak or be precise. Bulk pills are difficult (if not impossible) to identify, and sometimes it is a real course against time. For the same reason, don't put different pills in the same container.
- Before leaving, remember to take all the medications you usually take. When you pack your toothbrush, take your medications as well.
- If one or more medications cause you photosensitivity, don't forget to apply sunscreen before you leave the house, regardless of the weather. you would be surprised to find that even in low light you can get burned!
- If you set an alarm on your phone, you choose a particular ringtone that you immediately remind yourself to take therapy. If this method fails, set the same ringtone you use for incoming calls.
- Before you go on a long trip, ask your doctor for a new prescription, so if you run out of, lose or drop your medicines, you can go to the pharmacy to buy a new bottle.
- Medical reminders are of different types. Pill dispensers and timers on watches are just some of the solutions available to remind you to take a therapy.
- Pay attention to the type of reminder you choose. If you get used to them too much (a note on the fridge, next to the pill box, etc.) you will end up ignoring them or on the contrary looking at them too much, rather than giving them proper attention.
- If you are being treated for a serious condition such as heart disease, wear a bracelet or tag that says your diagnosis and the medications you are taking. It also marks all possible interactions and / or allergies.
Warnings
- Certain drugs, for example those containing substances called "controlled", should not be left unattended around the house. Keep them in a locked cabinet, don't carry them from place to place. Try to keep quiet from others who take these types of medicines and avoid using them in public. It is not uncommon for these substances to be stolen, both for personal misuse and for the purpose of trafficking.
- Before leaving the pharmacy, check that the medicines they gave you are the ones you usually take. Even pharmacists can make mistakes.
- Always take note when taking a drug. It's one thing to forget a dose, it's another to take it twice. You could put a check mark on your reminder as soon as you swallow the pill.
- If you pass your prescribed medications to someone else, you could be prosecuted. If you are the victim of a drug theft, report it to the authorities to avoid future charges.
- In the United States, the FDA requires a "black box warning" or "boxed warning" to be included in the package leaflet on some medicinal products. This is an alarm associated with a high risk of mortality if a drug is taken improperly. In Italy this wording does not exist, but do not hesitate to contact your doctor if you are concerned that you have accidentally taken an overdose of a medicine.
- If you forget to take a dose, please read the leaflet carefully. Do not assume that you have to hire it anyway, even if it is late, because it is not always a valid solution. If you have difficulty understanding what is indicated on the leaflet or prescription, ask your pharmacist for advice.
- Some medications can be addictive. If you find that you are taking more medicine than you have been prescribed, contact your doctor immediately to discuss a change in therapy with him.
- Check that the pharmacist gives you the right type of drug in the right dosage. It may happen that your prescriptions are confused with those of another person.
- If you leave the packs of medications lying around to remind you to take them, make sure they are not within the reach of a child.
