If you are someone who has to regularly take medication, you know the struggle of making it part of your routine. With the hustle and bustle of life, it can be hard to remember your meds sometimes. And chances are, you’ve probably accidentally skipped a dose here or there.
However, missing doses of medication can cause undesirable effects. Depending on how strong your medicine is, you can even experience withdrawal symptoms within hours. And if you’re on something that regulates bodily functions like birth control, you can mess up your cycle.
Even if you’re trying to stay on top of your meds, forgetfulness can unfortunately still happen. Luckily, there are different techniques you can use to be more likely to remember your medication. Keep reading for six tips to try out so you stay diligent with your prescriptions.
Sign up for a Subscription
With modern technology and resources, some parts of life are becoming easier. Just like streaming services, you can get your medicine delivered through a subscription. Medications such as antidepressants and birth control can be provided on a regular basis through certain providers.
Signing up for a subscription delivery service for your meds means you don’t have to make a trip to the pharmacy anymore. Going out of the way to get your prescriptions can make them easier to forget. But with a delivery service, you’ll never have to remember to swing by Walgreens after work. Remember, the easier it is to complete a task, the more likely you’ll remember to do it.
Subscriptions will help you catch other incentives that will further make your medicine more affordable and accessible. People who order their meds online like to view these drug coupon codes to maximize their savings and reduce the cost of prescriptions. This can make managing your health even more cost-effective while ensuring that you never miss a dose.
Set Alarms
One of the easiest ways to remind yourself to do something is to set an alarm on your phone. Through either a clock or calendar app, you’re able to send yourself a notification at an exact time. In fact, you probably already do this to wake up in the morning.
Well, who says you can’t use a phone alarm to remind yourself to take your meds? Simply set it for a time you have access to your prescription, like in the morning or before bed. And just like that, you have a reminder that will go off every day. You can even have the alarm sound to be a fun song to get you hyped up.
Switch the Lid with a Cap Timer
This might be a little piece of technology you’ve never heard of before, but they’re super useful. Pill cap timers have been around for a while, yet nobody really talks about how great they are. Plus, they’re pretty cheap and easy to find at drugstores.
The small contraption looks just like the lid of a prescription bottle. However, it has a built-in analog clock display with a timer feature. All you have to do is add the cap to your pill bottle and it will track the time since the bottle was last opened. Closing the cap starts the timer, and opening the cap will stop it.
By checking the time between, you’ll be able to know when you last took your pills. This is especially helpful if you can’t remember whether or not you took your meds and a double dose would be harmful.
Get a Cute Pill Box
Here’s another classic way to remind yourself to take your drugs while also staying organized. Pill boxes have multiple containers connected to each other for the purpose of storing medicine. Each of the little sections usually represents one day’s worth of pills, and the most common model has seven. Basically, the standard box is set up as a holder for a week’s daily medication.
Pill boxes also come in a variety of styles, from different colors to funky shapes. There are usually multiple sizes, too. Instead of a week’s worth of pills, you can choose to store two weeks or even a month of medicine.
Once you’ve got your container, all you need to do is fill it up accordingly and keep it somewhere you can see it. Don’t forget the saying “out of sight, out of mind.” The phrase may be overused, but it’s not wrong. Keep your pill box somewhere you won’t miss it, like on your nightstand or kitchen counter. If you’re on the go often, you might find one to keep in your purse.
Use a Fun Dispenser
Want a fun way to remember your medication and be motivated to take it? A cute pill dispenser might just do the trick. These come in a wide array of forms, from automatic dispensers to gumball-style machines.
Simply fill the dispenser with your medicine, and you’re ready to go. It’s an easy way to make taking your meds have more of an exciting flair. Plus, it serves another purpose as a decoration. You definitely won’t be able to overlook your medication anymore.
Keep Some in Your Car
Sometimes you might overlook alarms and reminders when you’re in a rush. If this happens to you, there’s a foolproof way to get around this. And it’s as easy as keeping some of your medicine in your car.
You don’t have to keep all of your prescriptions in the car. A small back-up, or ‘emergency,’ stash will be enough, as long as you keep it stocked. This way, even if you’re already on the road to work, you’ll still be able to take your medications.
While this is a great option for many, it’s important to note you should consider your medication and where you live first. Some prescriptions need to be kept within certain temperature ranges to remain effective. Look at what you’re taking and the upcoming weather before using your car as a permanent storage option.
Get Creative
Forgetting mundane tasks is just another part of being human. However, by making said task more fun or noticeable, you’re less likely to forget about it. So go set some alarms and put your pills in funny dispensers!
