In the realm of prescription medication, one of the most significant challenges is maintaining organization and adhering to the prescribed schedule. This becomes especially daunting when dealing with multiple medications, a common scenario for individuals managing chronic health conditions. The monotonous routine of daily pill intake can lead to confusion and errors. Was the pill taken tonight, or are you recalling yesterday's dose?
To combat this confusion and enhance medication safety, pill packs have surged in popularity. Initially popularized by daily medications like birth control or time-specific prescription drugs like steroid dose packs, these pre-organized, pre-scheduled packs have become a staple in medication management. They offer easy access to your daily dose, leaving the rest of the doses neatly arranged, labeled, and ready for consumption.
Despite the simplicity of the pill pack design, human error can still occur. Here are some tips to ensure safe medication intake from a pill pack, along with insights on how our home delivery services can assist you.
Understanding Your Prescribed Medications
The first step towards safe pharmaceutical care involves familiarizing yourself with each prescribed medication. This includes knowing the medication's name, its purpose, and most importantly, understanding its interaction with your body.
Each medication's name is typically displayed on the exterior of most medicine bottles and packs. They also come with an insert detailing the medication's information and potential side effects. Both the box and the pack have an expiration date printed or stamped. The pills are usually labeled as "Day 1 Dose 1," or have the days of the week on the pack. This color-coded, easy-to-read labeling is particularly beneficial for seniors managing polypharmacy, reducing the likelihood of taking pills at the wrong time and ensuring no daily dose is doubled.
When dealing with multiple medications, the risk of medication interactions becomes a serious concern. It's crucial to check all medications to minimize, or at least be aware of, potential interactions.
The Hero app offers an automated solution for tracking drug information. It cross-references all your medications to assess any risks, simplifying drug therapy management for you.
Storing Your Medications
Pill pack packaging is typically flat, allowing for easy storage in a drawer, medicine cabinet, or your bag. Keeping all your medication in one location helps track your medication and reduces the risk of misplacement.
Medication safety within your home is also crucial, especially when children, pets, and family members are around. While medicine packs make pills slightly harder to access for those who shouldn't, they are primarily produced for non-narcotic medications. This means that many of your other medications still come in the classic orange prescription bottle from the pharmacy, and you may be tempted to sort them into a weekly pill box. So, how do you balance safe storage with easy accessibility?
Electronic pill dispensers are the best option for keeping your vitamins and other medications organized and safely stored away, while being easily accessible at the touch of a button.
Managing Multiple Medications with the Hero Pill Dispenser
With the Hero pill dispenser, pills are organized, stored, dispensed, and much more. With the capability of storing up to 90 days’ worth of 10 different medications, paired with the ability to schedule each dose via the Hero app, the Hero dispenser can automatically prepare and dispense each medication at the right time for every dose you need. Hero will also serve as your reminder system by notifying you with a pleasant chime and blinking light on the dispenser, as well as the option to get call, message, and app reminders which go to your phone so you can live your life without worrying whether or not the dispenser is in earshot.
Complex med schedule? We solved it.
Hero’s smart dispenser reminds you to take your meds and dispenses the right dose, at the right time.
Scheduling and Recording Your Doses
Keeping track of your prescription schedule is important, as each dose is timed to be taken based on your body’s interaction with the active ingredients. If a medication is metabolized in your body within 9 hours, for example, you’ll usually take your next dose every 6-8 hours or so.
Just as important as knowing when to take your medication is keeping a record of medications taken -- if you get prescribed something new to help ease symptoms but you aren’t taking the doses properly, you may have trouble telling your doctor whether the meds worked at your next appointment.
Need a place to schedule and track your medication? The Hero app automatically generates adherence records as medication is dispensed from the Hero dispenser, removing the need to manually keep track on your own. These records are accessible to you from anywhere, making them a great option for loved ones and caregivers alike, especially when it comes to sharing data with healthcare providers.
Planning For Trips
Going out of town while on medication can be a little tricky. It is easy to forget your medication when you are outside of your home and in an unfamiliar place, especially with the excitement of packing for something like a spontaneous overnight vacation.
When you are creating your packing list, it’s important to double check that you have your medication packed. In most cases, you won’t be able to replace prescription medications if they are forgotten or misplaced.
One of the benefits of a pill pack is its portability, as its relatively small packaging allows your medication to be packed away in a small area, and if you’re traveling by air, easy to get through TSA without extra steps, if any. Still, it’s important to take extra caution while traveling, since schedules are often altered and your mind is often focused on your surroundings more than your medication.
Hero can help ensure your meds are still taken with Vacation Mode. After dispensing your pills ahead of time to take with you, the Hero app still sets reminders so that you don’t forget your next dose in the midst of having a good time.
Sharing Your Medication Information
Caregivers and healthcare providers play a massive role in the lives of their patients. From caregivers responsible for loved ones at home to healthcare professionals helping to improve quality of life, these individuals take on the responsibility of caring for someone else’s wellbeing.
To best assist your caregiver and your healthcare provider when you don’t feel well, it’s important to share as much information with them as you can about your symptoms, how well prescription or OTC medications may be helping with those symptoms, and what medications and supplements you’re already taking so they can properly assess what other options are available to help you.
With the assistance of the Hero app, medication information can always be shared with your healthcare provider and caregivers by displaying your detailed medication schedule and personalized adherence reports, so everyone is always in the loop.
The Verdict on Pill Packs
Pill packs have made proper dosing just a little easier, allowing you to grab one pill at a time, see which doses you have or haven’t taken, and see how much medication you have left before a refill is needed.
But with only a small percentage of medications offered in this blister pack setup, Hero’s automatic dispenser and free app can help you and your caregiver manage all of your meds without a sweat. With simple setup, ease of use, and accessible data, Hero will give you and your loved ones peace of mind that everything is taken care of.
The Future of Prescription Medication Management
As we look to the future, the management of prescription medications, like the services we offer, is set to revolutionize the way we handle our healthcare needs. With the convenience of available services, prescription delivery services, local pharmacy partnerships, and the ability to handle most forms of insurance copays, we are committed to going the extra mile to ensure your medication needs are met. Whether it is Amazon Pharmacy, Walmart, or other pharmacies, the best companies in the industry are striving to offer delivery services that cater to the needs of the customer.
Our goal is to offer customers a reliable service that not only delivers your medications but also helps you manage them effectively. We understand the importance of medication management in maintaining health, especially for seniors and those with chronic health conditions. With our services, we aim to make this process as simple and efficient as possible.
Sources
https://www.martinhealth.org/medication-safety-tips
https://www.verywellhealth.com/pillboxes-and-drug-safety-2224150
https://dailycaring.com/medication-management-for-seniors-10-safety-tips/
The contents of the above article are for informational and educational purposes only. The article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified clinician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or its treatment and do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information published by us. Hero is indicated for medication dispensing for general use and not for patients with any specific disease or condition. Any reference to specific conditions are for informational purposes only and are not indications for use of the device.
