Article - Getting The Right Dose Of Your Medication

• Tip: Check in with your pharmacist or physician
• Tip: Organize your pills for easy and correct dosing
• Tip: Post a visible list of your daily medication
• Tip: Make it Easier To Swallow

For a variety of reasons, millions of people forget to take their daily medications and thousands accidentally overdose because they have taken too much medication. For people who are forgetful, or for those who have very complicated medication routines, the potential for drug-induced illness is a very real threat. There can be confusion over what was already taken, resulting in a missed dose, or even worse, an overdose. Medication containers with a variety of features can help organize the medications and prevent a dangerous mishap.

Taking prescription and over-the-counter drugs, as well as vitamins and herbal remedies, have become a daily routine for a majority of the population. We look to them as a foundation for our basic good health and well-being as well as a remedy for our aches and pains. The challenge lies in the fact that each tablet, capsule or vitamin has its own dosage requirements: once a day to six or seven times per day; half a tablet to three capsules; before a meal; with food; or before bedtime. This can be quite bewildering. Thankfully, there are a number of options to make the process more manageable.

Tip: Check in with your pharmacist or physician

It's a good idea to make a list of every medication you take and bring it to a pharmacist or doctor. These professionals are trained to notice chemicals that may interact poorly. Some medications may even cancel out the effect of others. Don't forget to include the over-the-counter and herbal remedies on your list. Manufactured or natural, they all contain chemicals.

Tip: Organize your pills for easy and correct dosing

There are a wide variety of containers to hold pills, ranging from large enough to sit on the countertop to small enough to fit in a purse or pocket. Some have compartments for dividing up the doses for the day, the week, or even a month. There are pill containers with timers you can set to remind you to take your medications. Others can be locked until the next appointed dosing time, to avoid the possibility of overdosing. A few of the available options include:

• Automated Medication Dispenser: store up to four weeks worth of medication, set up to 4 daily alarms, and let this automated pill dispenser do the rest. The container only operates when it is locked, so it is impossible to take two doses of medication too close together.

• Digital Pill Box Timer: compact pill organizer and reminder with 4 compartments to hold pills. The timer can set up to 4 daily reminders at the exact time you need to take your medication. The alarms will automatically repeat the next day.

• Talking Count-down Timer: this pint-size timer is easy to attach to a belt, put in a pocket or set on a desk. A clear, female voice announces the time or acts as a timer. There are eight different alarm sounds to notify you of different activities, such as taking medication or going to see the doctor.

• Pill Box Organizer: prepare and organize daily medications for accurate dispensing. The overall organizer snap-in tray contains seven individual one-day pill holders. Each daily pill holder has four compartments to cover all times of the day.

• Talking Prescription Bottle: An easy-to-use device, Talking Rx™ can tell you exactly how many pills to take, when, and what for. Your doctor or pharmacist records the prescription information right into the Talking Rx™. All you have to do is push the red button and the Talking Rx™ will play the recorded message back to you.

Tip: Post a visible list of your daily medication

The bathroom or the refrigerator are both good options. That way, if you should become ill, it will be easy for another person to identify the type and frequency of the medications you are taking. It also makes it easier for the doctor to quickly identify potential problems with new prescriptions in an emergency situation.

Tip: Make it Easier To Swallow

Being able to take the medication is another matter. We joke that the only person capable of opening those child-proof caps is, ironically, a child. There are special bottle openers that can do the job if you don't have a child handy.

Another challenge is that the taste and size of many pills make them difficult to take. You know the old saying, "that's a bitter pill to swallow"? Use a pill crusher or a pill splitter to make the process easier and more palatable. Be sure to check with your pharmacist before splitting or crushing medications. These activities might hamper the intended dissolving rate, as in the case of time-released tablets. Available products are described below:

• Pill Crusher: Crushes a tablet into fine powder

• Pill Splitter: Place the tablet on the cutting pad, close the lid and the stainless steel blade cuts a pill in half for easier swallowing. Compartment underneath the cutting area holds your pills.

For decades, mothers have been mixing medication with food as a way of getting children to take medication. We often forget that these same taste bud tricks are just as effective on adults. Once you determine whether or not it's okay to crush your tablet and to have it with food, add it to juice, pudding or applesauce to make it easier to swallow and better tasting.

Remember, to get the maximum benefits from your prescription or over-the-counter medications and vitamins, it's important to take the correct amount at the appropriate time. Don't leave your health to chance when there are a number of products available to make the dosage process easier.

© Copyright 2000 Dynamic Living, Inc.
Dynamic Living Newsletter may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission from the editor must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter.

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