Remember Your Meds
Your medicine can’t help you if you forget to take it. Here are 6 tips that will set you up for success … and better health.
It’s time to jog that medicine-taking memory and get all the bang from your treatment buck. How?
Step 1: Accept that you need help.
Everyone forgets. So, turn to tools to help you remember.
Step 2: Shed the guilt.
Life’s many demands can easily make you forget and miss a dose. Give yourself credit that you remember to brush your teeth in the morning and stop being so hard on yourself when you forget your morning pill. (Better yet, combine the two so you remember both.)
Step 3: Pick one.
Try just one of the tips listed below. If it doesn’t work, try another until you find one that works for you. And remember, taking your medicine is a choice you make every day to reach your best health.
Tips to Try:
Sticky Note: Put a reminder note where you’ll be sure to see it every day at the same time. Try on the coffeemaker, by your toothbrush or on your jewelry box.
- Electronic Note: Schedule a reminder through your phone or computer’s calendar program.
- Motivational Photo: Put a photo on the fridge to remind you of your treatment goals. Maybe an image of how you want to feel, where you want to go, the people who love you and want you to be healthy, or what you want to do once your treatment starts to work.
- Buddy System: Ask a friend or family member to remind you each day.
- Use a Tracker: Start logging when you take your medicine in a personal calendar or notebook that you carry with you each day.
- Pill-Taking Tool: Use a calendar-based pill box with daily or weekly compartments.
Have different colored boxes for different times of the day. For example, a blue box for morning pills and a white box for evening pills. Leave your pill boxes in a room in your house where you’ll be sure to see them throughout the day. (If more than one person in the house uses a pill box, put the name of the person on each box using a permanent marker or a label so you don’t accidentally take the wrong pills.)
Can You Mix? Find out if your drugs can be taken together with our Drug Checker.
Get tips for remembering your meds, coping with side effects and more with Medicine Matters.
