Tips for Better Medication Organization

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) reports that nearly half of older adults who have caregivers take between five and nine different prescriptions a day, and a huge source of stress for caregivers is managing those medications. Medication management and being responsible for getting prescriptions filled and ensuring there are no adverse drug interactions or side effects can be difficult. Tracking and sorting all of the pills, liquids, creams, nasal sprays and eyedrops — as well as administering them all — is exhausting.

Here are five tips to help make medication management safer and simpler:

1. Start by keeping everyone’s medications in a designated place. If your mom knows that her medications are in one cabinet and your dad’s are in another, she’s less likely to grab the wrong bottles by mistake.

2. Organize more than one week of pills at a time. Set up pill organizers to track daily intake. Pharmacies can dispense medications in blister packs rather than in bottles. These are great for several reasons – first, the seal in the back is fairly thin, and it’s a lot easier to pop the pill out of the seal than it is to unscrew the cap. You also don’t have to worry about the bottles getting knocked over or pills spilling. The blister packs are usually numbered from 1 to 30, so it’s easy to see if that day’s pill has been taken.

3. Use different colored pillboxes to serve as a trigger to remember. One patient may put daytime medications in a bright yellow pillbox, but use a dark blue box for nighttime meds.

4. Set alarms. Cell phones and some wristwatches have alarm settings, but if your parent isn’t tech savvy, use regular alarm clocks. Set them near the medications to be taken when that alarm goes off—or look for pillboxes that have built-in alarms. If your loved one’s medication regimen is incredibly complex or if memory issues are a concern, look into a service like MedMinder or Pill Box, which send caregivers alerts when a dosage is missed. Computerized medication dispensers can be programmed to dispense specific medications at the push of a button at preset times and also alert family if a medication isn’t taken on schedule.

5. Create and maintain an updated medication and supplements list. A comprehensive list ensures that you won’t forget anything while filling the pillboxes and also helps any caregiver or emergency-response person easily find the information. In addition, consider keeping a copy in a folder to bring to doctor’s appointments or hospital visits. Make a medications list easily accessible at all times by creating it in a Word or Excel document on your computer. You can then can access it on a smartphone or tablet via Dropbox. Or, try keeping a copy in an app like Evernote app or in another app designed for caregiving. Some caregiving apps make the process easier by allowing you to add the information by simply scanning the medication bottles.

Medication management tools are also offered through the CVMC Health First Center. Phillip’s Lifeline products available there offer “smart” electronic pill organizers and dispensers that sound an alarm when it’s time to take pills and that send notifications to caregivers when pills have or have not been taken. To find out more about Phillips’s medication dispensing services, please email Carol Robinson at cbrobinson@catawbavalleymc.org or contact her by phone at 828.485.2696.

The bottom line: Create a system (high- or low-tech) that works for you and your loved ones and ensures that the correct medications are being taken at the correct times. A little organization can save lives, ease pain and make everyone’s life easier.