For several individuals, there comes a time in life when medication becomes an indispensable part of living. In the current world marked with global warming, pollution of different kinds, and lack of pure, natural resources, it is sometimes inevitable to fall prey to diseases and health issues. In such cases, medicines are the reliever.
However, more often than not, setting the right routine for taking medicines may prove to be very difficult. This case is especially true for senior citizens who may be taking pills for more than just one disease.
Here’s How You Can Manage Your Medication
There are several aspects that must be taken into account. There are instances where two different kinds of medicines lead to side effects, hence you must see how you are managing your medication. Let us have a look at some of the best methods to ascertain proper medication management:
Learn About Most Common Medication Mistakes
This is one of the first things that one should know about simply because when you know what can lead to mistakes, you do not make mistakes. Some of the mistakes that most patients make may be in the form of taking too much medication, mixing up home remedies with prescribed drugs, and non-adherence to medical requirements. Evidence suggests that such mistakes lead to the ineffectiveness of medication, side effects, and overdose.
Use Organization Tools
It may get very difficult to keep a track of the time and number of pills you need every day. It is especially true for elderly people who have a need for polypharmacy which is the use of five or more medications on a daily basis. Organization tools such as pill-box, alarm watch, and water bottle can be really helpful. For example, a pill-box can be used to keep your medicines safely and separately as per their categories such as medicines for diabetes in one part and medicines for pain in the other. This would help you easily manage your medication routine without a miss.
Be In Touch With A Doctor
No matter how long your medications have been going on, you should not discontinue seeing your doctor. The doctor knows what is right for you and what is not. The kind and intensity of medicines you are taking may need to be changed anytime, therefore you must keep contacting now and then even if you do not feel there is a need. This will help you be sure that your routine is right to cure you or to keep situations from getting worse.
Remove Unnecessary Medicines From The Set
It is ideal to keep the number of medicines as less as possible. In general, the doctors write a prescription to eliminate the disease and prevention of possible side effects. Consult your doctor, and ask which medicines can be removed. If you give a clear description of your situation, a good proportion of your medicines can be taken off. One more thing that one should avoid is mixing up the prescriptions of two doctors. Stick to one and wait until you are sure of the medicines’ effectiveness or ineffectiveness. That is how you should go about it.
Everything you do while you are on medication matters. You must stay in touch with your doctor and report every development. While you are at it, you can keep exercising lightly as it will help you feel better.
