Taking More Than One Medication Regularly: What You Should Know
As you get older, it is not uncommon for your doctor to prescribe a number of medications for you to take on a regular basis. If you're not used to taking so many medications, you might make some mistakes that render your medication less effective and could put your health at risk. For that reason, it's important that you know the following things.
Understand How to Take Every Medication
While you may have a vague idea of what medication you're taking and why, it's important to know any pertinent rules that apply to each one. Many people who have problems with their medications do so because they are taking them in a manner that isn't consistent with what a doctor or pharmacist would recommend. For example, it's important to take some medications with foods so that you don't experience nausea. Some medications need to be taken after taking your pulse or checking your blood sugar. Be sure to talk with your doctor about how each medication should be used so that they are effective and safe.
Use a Pill Organizer
Once you understand how you should be taking your medicine, it can be hard to keep track of all of them, especially if they need to be taken at different times of the day. A pill organizer can be a lifesaver; by using an organizer, you can set out your medications for the days ahead without forgetting one or taking one at the wrong time.
Seek Out a Compounding Pharmacy Instead of Crushing Pills
Another challenge of taking many medications is that some seem to large to be swallowed. Crushing pills seems like a great solution at first, so that the pieces are small enough to manage, but that could disrupt the effectiveness of the medicine. Rather than crushing everything, have your doctor send a prescription to a compounding pharmacy. This type of pharmacy will be able to concoct a liquid formulation of your medication so you can consume it safely.
Do Not Use Medication That Has Expired
If some of your medications are used only as needed and not each day, they may expire past their "use by" date. Because you don't want to toss those medications in the trash, you might think you can still take them. However, they are likely to be less effective once they reach expiration; ask your pharmacist to help you keep track of different expiration dates so that you only have non-expired medication on hand.
With the information here, you should be better able to manage all of your different medications. Ask your pharmacist and personal doctor for more guidance. For additional insight, you may want to contact a company such as Camelback Compounding Pharmacy.