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Taking multiple vitamins can be difficult and confusing. With this guide, managing a complex medication regimen can be easier and more efficient.
Two-thirds of people in the United States have taken a prescription medication in the past month. Unfortunately, half of them do not take their medications as prescribed or stop taking them altogether. This is dangerous and leads to thousands of deaths each year.
There are many reasons for this non-adherence, like finances and transportation.
One of the main reasons is the fact that they have more than one prescription. Many must consume more than five or six pills a day.
Each medication has different requirements to be met. Time of day, amount, taken with or without food, and how to store them, to name a few. For someone who is ill, keeping up with all these medication requirements can become overwhelming. It is easier to stop taking them rather than try to manage a complicated medication regimen.
Even caregivers can find it difficult at times. It’s important to talk with your pharmacist to create a plan to manage better how you take your medication to avoid adverse health consequences. Below are some tips to help.
1. Receive Education on Your Meds
When your pharmacist asks if you have any questions about your medication, take this opportunity to learn more. Managing a complex medication regimen begins with knowledge. The more you know about your medicine, the better you understand its importance.
Sure, you are given literature stapled to your medication bag, but how often do you take the time to read it? Most people do not read the information. By receiving education from your pharmacist, you can learn about side effects, interactions, and how to consume your medicine correctly.
2. Receive Education on Your Disease
You should never take medication without being educated on your disease. Understanding how your medications work doesn’t mean a whole lot unless you understand how they work specifically to treat your condition.
- If you have diabetes, you need to know why taking diabetic medicine can improve your diabetes symptoms.
- If you have high blood pressure, you must understand why lowering your blood pressure can prevent other diseases, including heart disease.
Learn exactly what the medication does when you consume it, like where it goes into your body, and what it does once it arrives.
3. Make a Chart
To manage a complex medication regimen, create a chart that lists your medicines. The chart should be kept in a central location. Include the name of your medication, the time of day to take your medicine, and whether it should be taken with or without food.
If your medicine should be taken more than once a day, list the drug more than once on the chart. Treat each dose as different medication, so there is no room for error. You can even color-code your medications if it makes it easier.
Also, list any vitamins or over the counter medications you are taking on this chart. Using a chart can help you stick with a medication routine.
4. Develop a Routine
Routines can lead to habits, and when it comes to taking medication, this can be a good thing. Taking medication every day at the same time every day will help your body adjust to the changes the drug is offering.
Your routine should also include using the same pharmacist every time for having your prescriptions filled. This gives your pharmacist the ability to check for potential drug interactions, keeping you safer, and helping you adhere to your regimen.
5. Pharmacy Programs to Help
Your pharmacy likely offers multiple ways to help you adhere to your medication regimen. Reminder calls, texts, and emails about refills are one example.
Staying on track with your refills is essential when trying to stick with a medication routine.
Many pharmacists can package your prescriptions, so they meet your needs. This means your pharmacist can put your morning, mid-day, and evening doses together, but in different packaging, so there is no mistaking that should be taken and when.
If your pharmacy isn’t able to package your medications, work with pharmacy staff to pick the best pill organizing system to help you stay on track.
If you need to split medications, ask your pharmacist for help. Your pharmacy will help you create a solution. If they cannot provide them to you already split, they can teach you how to choose and use your medications’ right splitting tool.
6. Get Reminders
If you have a smartphone or alarm clock of some kind, you can set reminders for yourself or a caregiver. Alarms are very beneficial in preventing missed doses, which can lead to dangerous health issues. It’s easy to get caught up in chores and life responsibilities and forget to take your medication.
Because it is not safe to take double doses or constantly rearranging your dosing schedule, you must do what you can to keep your medication regimen on track. Reminder notifications help reduce this problem.
You may be able to purchase timer caps for your medication bottles that can be set to go off when it is time for your dose.
7. Know the Dangers
If you do not stick with your medication regimen, you may face health problems that can be dangerous, even fatal. Work with your doctor and pharmacist to learn what can happen if you miss a dose, stop taking your medication, or take too much medicine.
The more you know about the consequences of non-adherence, the more you will want to avoid the adverse effects.
Consequences can include the disease becoming worse. Medication is often used to slow or cure a disease. If you don’t take it, the condition will grow. Not taking your medication as prescribed can mean frequent trips to the hospital to treat negative symptoms.
For some who take too much medication, an overdose is a possibility. Many overdoses can lead to death.
Finally, the improper taking of medications can lead to drug interactions, addiction, accidents, and additional health problems.
There are many benefits of sticking to a medication regimen, and you deserve to live the healthiest life possible. If you have questions, start today by reaching out to your pharmacist.
