Ideas for Managing and Organizing Medications

Read time:  approximately 3 minutes

Managing and organizing medications is a huge responsibility.  Messing up is not an option.      

 

Altogether, I manage and organize prescription medications for three people.  The total of prescription medications is eleven.  That does not include over the counter pain meds and supplements. 

It took many close calls and total fails before I finally put together a system of managing and organizing all our combined medications.

 

 

I am a list person.  Therefore, to me, the foundational piece of an effective system of managing and organizing medications is a list.

 

Having a medication list is beneficial in many situations. 

 

• Use it as a reference sheet when filling a pill organizer to speed up the process and avoid errors.  
• Take the list with you to your doctor appointments to ensure you are providing accurate information.    
• Having a list to hand over in an emergency can literally be a lifesaver.    

Make sure to update the list as the information changes. 

Whether to keep your list digitally or on paper is a personal choice.  Both ways have merits. 

I use a hybrid system.  Because a paper copy is easier for me to reference when filling the pill organizers, I create and store the list on my computer and print a copy as needed.  After each update, I take a picture of the list to store on my phone.    

 

 

Make maintaining a list easy by keeping the information very basic.  

 

Include on your list this basic information:

• The name of the medication
• The dosage amounts
• When the medicine is supposed to be taken
• Because your doctor will ask, include any over the counter medications and supplements that are currently being taken. 

 

Using a pill organizer to manage and organize medications is the best way that I have found to ensure that medication is being taken as prescribed.

 

A quick glance reveals whether the medication was taken on schedule.

Check and double check the pill organizer.  Just because an individual says they took their meds does not mean it’s true. 

 

There is a large variety of pill organizers available; find one that fits your situation.

 

We utilize three different kinds of pill organizers:

• A standard, daily, one pill per day organizer with which almost everyone is familiar,
• A weekly / four times a day organizer for medicine that must be dispensed four times a day.  Each day has its own individual pill organizer.
• A high-end organizer called the Live Fine that has been huge in helping me to manage and control medicine for the one who takes medicine willy nilly.

Liquid medicine is a little tougher to track.  However, taking the time to create a chart can keep you on track with liquid medicine.   

 

Set an alarm to make sure that medicine is taken at the correct time. 

 

There’s an app for that!  (of course). 

Using the alarm on your phone to signal medicine time is a great use for this particular app.   

All responsible adults can and should assume responsibility for taking medication as prescribed. 

For adults that aren’t responsible and children, set the alarm on your personal phone.  

 

Make filling the pill organizer part of your routine. 

 

Set aside a day and time that you routinely fill the pill organizer.  Stress to all the chatterers in your life that this is a time of quiet.

 

One of the most important reasons for devising a system of managing and organizing medications is ensuring that you do not run out of medications.

 

I feel like I discovered magic when I finally figured out what worked for me.  (Fifteen years later 🤦‍♀️)

Most people rely on the information printed on the label of the prescription bottle itself.   

However, what most people ignore, is the patient information flyer that is included with every prescription. 

Immediately look for two pieces of information printed on the flyer; the number of refills remaining and the expiration date of the prescription. 

If there are no remaining refills and / or the prescription has expired, keep the flyer as a reminder to message the doctor and request a refill or new prescription.

 

Here is a valuable piece of information that I learned the hard way: 

 

Prescriptions have an expiration date.  In most states it’s a year although that can vary.  Even if it appears there are refills left on the prescription, if the prescription has expired, the prescription will be unable to be filled. 

 

Another lesson you don’t want to learn: 

 

If you fail to pick up a prescription in a timely manner, your insurance company can determine that you are non-compliant and refuse to pay for it.  THAT is not fun. 

 

Finally, one last step. 

Set a reminder or make a note on your calendar when you should be picking up  / expecting the next refill.  That way you know to take action before it’s too late.

 

Managing and organizing medications is a huge responsibility.  But by implementing a smart strategy you can avoid most of the heart stopping  moments that go with the job.

 

Note:  This post is meant to give you some little ideas to help manage and organize the non-medical part of managing and organizing your medicine. 

Managing and organizing medication from a medical standpoint (such as interactions, allergies etc.), needs to be addressed by a professional.    

For medical help and advice, please consult a professional (which I am not).

 

 

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