Tips to Manage Your Medications

By Randi Morse

There are many things that change as you age. You may find you need less sleep, you may find that it takes you longer to heal, and you may find that you need to take more medications than you did when you were younger. It's not uncommon for adults to require more medications as they age, even those who prefer to use natural healing methods. That's why it's important to learn how to manage your medications correctly.

Medication Mishaps

When you take a number of medications, even herbal or natural ones, errors can happen. You may find yourself missing a dose of your medications, or taking too much of your medication. By properly managing your meds you are going to be much less likely to have medication errors. 

Ways to Manage Medications

There are some simple ways to manage your medication.

Pill organizers - Little pill organizers are a great way to manage medications. You can find organizers that have slots for your morning and your night pills, or just ones for your daily pills. Fill your pill container once a week and you'll be all set. If you have small children, this might not be the best option as the majority of pill organizers do not have a locking mechanism.

Schedule chart - A dosing schedule chart is a great idea if you have to take a large number of medications. The easiest way to make this is by using a spreadsheet program. List all of the medications that you take, along with the amount of dosage that you take for each medication, and leave room for a check mark next to each dosing. This can also be a great tool to bring with you to doctors appointments. 

Pill apps - Technology can be a wonderful tool when it comes to medication management. There are a number of apps that you can download that will help you keep track of your medications. Some of them even watch for contraindications between meds so that you're less likely to take pills that will react to each other. 

Make sure that you check the labels on your prescriptions often. Some medications can be difficult for a pharmacy to get, so it's a good idea to call your doctor, or pharmacy, as soon as you need a refill. Make sure you check the expiration date and properly discard any old medications.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Brandon, Fla.