Remembering to take your medication

If you take several medications daily you need to have a medication schedule. This will allow you take your medicines at regular intervals so that the amount of a drug in your system doesn't go up and down too much. Print out this medication schedule and update whenever you add or drop a prescription or OTC product. It is good to keep a written record (or for your caregiver, if appropriate, to keep a record) so you can see exactly what you took and when. You can show the record to your doctor at each visit. You could also note any new symptoms or possible side effects you experience and this could help pinpoint the cause of any problems.

It is helpful to have a memory aid such as a pill box with easy-to-open compartments for each day of the week. If you have to take medicines at different times of the day you might want to place each dosage in a separate paper cup or compartment in the plastic liner of a chocolate box marked with the time it has to be taken. Don't use egg cartons because of a slight risk of salmonella.

You may want to purchase a product that uses an electronic alarm such as a buzzer, flashing light or that vibrates when it is time to take your medicine.

A trick to help avoid mix-ups is to color code your medicines rather than having to read the labels each time, using colored markers or sticker dots. Then just mark the color or place a sticker at the appropriate time of day on your medication schedule chart. But remember - you should always know what you are taking and why.