Taking your medication exactly as prescribed is a crucial part of managing your overall health and well-being. If you don’t take your prescriptions the right way as prescribed by your doctor or pharmacist, serious health risks can occur. Having a medication routine is important for treating chronic and temporary conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that non-adherence causes 30 to 50 percent of chronic disease treatment failures and 125,000 deaths per year in this country. There are 4 aspects of medication adherence:
- Right DOSE- make sure you understand exactly how much to take
- Right TIME- some medications work better at certain times of the day
- Right WAY- do I take with food? With water? On an empty stomach?
- Right FREQUENCY- how often?
The most common reasons people do not take their medications in the correct manner are not understanding the directions of the medication, unpleasant side effects, cost of the medication, or forgetfulness. However, these are all problems that can be addressed by simply talking to your Doctor or Pharmacist and being open and honest about how your medications affect your everyday life. Often times an adjustment can be made to address these issues.
The FDA offers these 8 helpful tips on taking medications the right way:
- Take your medication at the same time every day.
- Tie taking your medications with a daily routine like brushing your teeth or getting ready for bed. Before choosing mealtime for your routine, check if your medication should be taken on a full or empty stomach.
- Keep a “medicine calendar” with your pill bottles and note each time you take a dose.
- Use a pill container. Some types have sections for multiple doses at different times, such as morning, lunch, evening, and night.
- When using a pill container, refill it at the same time each week. For example, every Sunday morning after breakfast.
- Purchase timer caps for your pill bottles and set them to go off when your next dose is due. Some pill boxes also have timer functions.
- When travelling, be certain to bring enough of your medication, plus a few days extra, in case your return is delayed.
- If you’re flying, keep your medication in your carry-on bag to avoid lost luggage. Temperatures inside the cargo hold could damage your medication.
Owens Pharmacy can help you with your Medication Routine
- As a helpful guide, click HERE to download a free wallet-sized medication record sheet! This handy little guide is a great tool for you to carry all of your prescriptions, dosages, and dosage time information in one simple sheet. Share this with all of your doctors and your pharmacist.
- Utilize ONE pharmacy so your pharmacist has a complete medication history and can identify any potential drug interactions or duplicate medications.
- Sign up for our FREE Med Sync Program and have all of your medications filled on ONE day, every 30 days. Click HERE to find out more about Med Sync.
- If transportation is an issue we can mail or deliver your prescriptions right to your home or office!
Owens Pharmacy – Different and Better!
CLICK HERE TO TRANSFER YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS TO OWENS PHARMACY TODAY!
Sources: www.fda.gov & www.cdc.gov
