Covered Caregiver Blog

Whether you have already taken medications before or they are something new to you, there are important concerns that need to be considered regarding taking pills every day. What could happen if you do not take your medications according to prescription? It is important to understand that medications are there to help in managing whatever medical condition that you are going through. If it is not taken according to instructions, it may end up not working well; you may not be relieved, and your condition can even get worse. Also, not following your prescribed medication may result in experiencing side effects, which can range from mild to harmful.

Is It Really Just Pills?

Your journey starts with understanding how and when you need to take your pills. The schedule of intake may differ, as well as the method of doing so. Some need to be taken with food while others should not; otherwise, it will devoid the effect of the pill. In order to deal with this, it is better to use a weekly medication log where you can write down the time that you take your pill. This log should also include a record of your visit to the doctor.

Why Are There So Many Pills?

The pills that you have in front of you may be extremely overwhelming. Doctors have to prescribe various medications for specific medical conditions as each of the pills work in treating different symptoms.

For each of the pill, you need to know the following things:

– The medicine name (both the brand and its generic name)
– The purpose of the medicine, as well as the length of time before seeing the effects. If you feel that it does not work,  you have to inform your doctor right away.
– The length of time that you need while continuously taking your medications, as well as the schedules.
– Other medicine, drinks or foods that need to be avoided.
– The potential side effects as well as the indicators when you finally need to call your doctor.

How can you be helped in Remembering?

– Take your medications at the same exact time every day. By doing this, your mind creates a routine just like when you remember to brush your teeth regularly.
– Make good use of certain reminders, such as a weekly box of pills, timer caps for your bottles, or even a beep/alarm when it is already time for you to take your pill. You may also use color coding as your strategy.

If you feel that your medications are quite expensive, you can inform your pharmacist or doctor right away. This is because they may be capable of helping you out in choosing the best sources of medicine that can be more affordable for you. For instance, you can simply get the generic name of a certain medicine, and you can already choose an alternative brand for a particular medication. It can give you the same effects for a fraction of the actual price.