Chronic Care

A simpler way to stay on top of your medications 

Adult female looking at phone while holding bottles

Taking a prescription drug to manage a health condition? These simple tips can help you keep up with your meds.  

“Take as directed.” These three little words on your medicine bottles sound simple enough. But the short phrase is a reminder to keep reading. And to pay close attention while you’re at it.  

The reason: Every prescription drug comes with its own set of instructions. And following them closely is key to getting the most benefit from your medicines. It also lowers the risk of side effects.    

You can have both short-term and long-term effects from not taking your medicine as directed. Let’s take high blood pressure as an example. Miss a dose of your medicine, and you might feel dizzy. Keep missing doses, and your odds of having a heart attack or stroke jump up.  

Or maybe you’re taking an antidepressant. Skip doses or stop taking it suddenly, and you may get stomach cramps. Or you could have sleep problems or mood swings. Your depression symptoms could even come back. 

On the other hand, if you work with your provider, they can help you make changes to your medications safely and effectively.  

The bottom line: Health care providers prescribe medicines with the goal of keeping you healthy. And sticking with the treatment plan is a key part of that process. Here’s what you need to know and some tips to help.  

What to know about dosage, frequency, and guidelines    

When your provider or pharmacist tells you to follow the instructions on your drug label, they really want you to pay attention to 3 important things:  

  1. Dosage. This is the exact amount to take. It’s based on many years of scientific research, plus your provider’s expertise. Taking the directed dose ensures that you take in the best level of medicine to get the desired results.  
  2. Frequency. This is how often you take the medicine. For example, you may have to take a pill twice a day, or just once every 24 hours. 
  3. Administration guidelines. These offer more detail on how you should take your medicine. They might say to chew a pill, swallow it whole, or take it with food. Is your medicine topical? They might tell you where to put it and when. Following these steps helps your body use the medicine effectively. It can also help you fend off side effects. 

Now for the good news: Each of these factors is addressed as needed in the medicine directions. And it’s often with a short and simple phrase. Do what the label says, and you’ve checked all 3 of the above boxes.    

A woman taking her blood pressure in a kitchen

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Tricks for sticking to your medication routine    

Struggle to remember to take your meds? You’re not alone. Research suggests more than 60% of people say the same thing, whether it’s due to forgetfulness, a busy schedule, or a change in routine. Here are some tools and tricks to help you stay on track:  

  • Use Wellframe, a smartphone ​​app that comes with your health plan. It lets you set reminders to take your medications. Plus, it has a tracker to help you record your progress.   
  • Keep your medicines in a visible place. Put them next to something that’s already part of your daily routine, like your coffee pot or ​​toothbrush.   
  • Sort them into a pill organizer. Choose one with the days of the weeks or even times of day.  
  • Post reminders on sticky notes. Put them at eye level on your bathroom mirror or fridge door so you won’t miss them.   
  • Take your meds at the same time of day as you give your pet a treat. If you forget, they’ll be sure to remind you.  

Speak up if you have questions. 

If the directions aren’t clear to you, or if you can’t follow them, talk to your doctor. Pharmacists are also a great place to start. They are pros at interpreting information for patients. If you need more info, they can also reach out to your provider.  

Be honest about any challenges you face in sticking to a plan. That way your doctor or pharmacist can think of other options or strategies that will truly work for you.  

Sources  

  1. “FDA Pharmacists Help You Use Medicines Safely.” U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Updated August 21, 2023. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-pharmacists-help-you-use-medicines-safely   

  2. Gadkari AS and McHorney CA. “Unintentional Non-adherence to Chronic Prescription Medications: How Unintentional Is It Really?” BMC Health Services Research. June 14, 2012; vol. 12: p. 98. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22510235 

  3. “Going Off Antidepressants.” Harvard Health, May 15, 2022. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/going-off-antidepressants