Today, most people are busy juggling their personal life, work-life, and more. Add to that a responsibility to take certain medicines at a specific time, and you’re bound to miss a few doses here and there. Whether or not that’s okay is a discussion you should have with your doctor. But, wouldn’t it be better to have a reliable system in place rather than risking it?
Today we’re going to discuss a few simple tips on how to help you remember to take your medicine on time.
Here’s what you should do:
Get to Know Your Medicine
You should have a basic understanding of how your medicine works. You don’t have to become an expert. But, you should be aware of what the medicine does and how it interacts with your body.
In addition, you need to know how to take it, when to take it, what side effects you should look for, and so on. Don’t be afraid to look at the side effects of a drug. Most medications have side effects, so you can’t just ignore them. However, a well-informed patient will be better able to handle a negative side effect than one who isn’t aware of the possible side effects.
Use Pillboxes
Pillboxes are a great way to track when you take your medicine. Each day of the week is given a designated space, and each space is allocated for one dose. Each time you take your medicine, put the pill in the right place. This way, you’ll have a visual representation of how much you’ve taken.
After a while, you’ll be able to tell if you need to take a dose on time. This will help you better understand how long it takes for a dose to wear off. If you have time, try to time your doses just for your sake. There’s nothing as convenient as recording a time when you took a pill and looking back on it to know what time it is.
Use Mobile Apps and Other Electronic Reminders
Most phones are equipped with alarms. Take advantage of it. Set an alarm that goes off when it’s time to take your medicine.
Additionally, there are many apps that you can install. If you have a regular doctor’s visit, take a screenshot of the prescription and use it as a reminder.
However, if you have multiple prescriptions, the screenshots won’t work. This is where you should use an app. If your phone isn’t too old, you can get a pill reminder app by talking to your pharmacist. For example, some pill reminder apps are compatible with only Android phones.
Integrate Your Dose into Your Daily Routine
Before this one is implemented, you should have a basic understanding of how long it takes for a dose to wear off. Set up a timer or schedule of when to take your medicine with that in mind.
If you have multiple doses, schedule them in a way that makes sense to you. For example, if you have to take your medicine three times per day, once every four hours, you should enlist the help of an adult to remind you. When you’re a kid, it’s not possible to follow a schedule like that on your own.
Conclusion
Taking your medicine on time is one of the most important steps of taking care of your health. Make sure you’ve got a solid routine set up for yourself to help you remember these important times. Try these tips to help you remember to take your medicine and remember to stay healthy!
Help yourself by following some of the tips above or exploring other ways to make medicine intake just a little bit easier. Consider using an app. My Medication Log is a cloud-based medication management app for patients and caregivers. We hope to help people in a simple but effective way.