Do you have trouble remembering to take your medication? If so, you’re not the only one. Some research shows that 80 percent of patients occasionally forget to take their meds.
If you have several medications, keeping track of them all can get complicated. And if you miss a dose or can’t remember whether you took it or not, you might be left wondering what to do. Should you take the missed dose once you remember it, or wait for the next one?
Well, these tips will help. Here are some simple tricks that will help you remember to take your medications—and know what to do if you ever miss a dose.
Weekly Pill Boxes
Weekly pill boxes that have a separate compartment for each day can be a big help when it comes to keeping track of your meds. There are also pill organizers with enough compartments to store all your meds for the month or organize your doses by the time of day.
So if you ever find yourself second-guessing whether you’ve remembered to take a pill, this simple solution can help.
Leave it Out
An easy way for remembering to take your medication is to leave your pill container somewhere you will see it. That could be the bathroom counter, on a nightstand next to your bed, or anywhere else you’ll look every day without fail.
Reminder Apps
If you are one of the many people who treat your phone as an extension of your body, a medication tracking app may be the best solution for you. There are a variety of free apps available, and they make it easy to set up your medication schedule and get pill reminders when it’s time to take a dose.
These apps also let you set an alarm to let you know when a prescription is running low and it’s time to get a refill.
Make it Routine
Making medications part of your daily routine can take the effort out of remembering. So try to take your pills at the same time as a routine activity like brushing your teeth, or clearing the table after dinner.
By associating your medications with those things you know you do every day, taking your medications will become second nature.
Get Help
If you find yourself struggling with a complicated medication schedule, you should bring it up with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to help simplify your medication regimen.
That may include prescribing different forms of your medications that don’t require as frequent a dose, or reducing the number of different medications you take.
What to Do if You Forget to Take a Medication
The recommendations for what to do after you forget a dose depends on several factors. That includes the type of medication and the severity of your condition.
For example, some drugs have a longer half-life than others (meaning they stay in the body longer), so the odd missed dose is not a problem and you can just return to your normal schedule once you remember. The longer half-life also means that trying to make up for a missed dose is not a good idea, as it may cause an increase in side effects or other issues.
On the other hand, some health conditions require consistent doses of medications, and so it’s recommended to take the missed dose as soon as its remembered, unless your next dose is less than two hours away.
So speak to your pharmacist or doctor about the specific recommendations for your medications.
PharmacyGo Can Help
At PharmacyGo, our convenient services can keep you stay on top of all your medications. For example, our online prescription refills and free delivery service make it easy to avoid running out of a prescription.
And if you need advice on what to do if you miss a dose, try our Virtual Health Service to get help at the push of a button.