Managing medications is not just a daily task, in many ways it’s a never-ending one. Keeping track of what you’re taking can be managed in so many different ways, but which one is best? First, consider what works best for you. Then think about how it might work for someone else to support your daily medication charting efforts. Having the ability to share and show others the way you’re managing your daily medications can be helpful to you and your appointed caregivers. Whether your caregiver is a member of your family or a more formal resource, like a hospital staff member or home health nurse, the ability to share your daily medication chart should be considered when you review the types of charts and tools available to you.
Here are 3 medication charts to consider when managing your daily medication:
1. Paper Might Work Best for You: ePill – FREE
Charts that offer the opportunity to write down, cross off and track the medication you’re taking still works best for many individuals. It’s always easy to look at the item in front of you and put your own information into it in a way that you best understand. Plus, all of the organizing is already done because you just have to fill in the information, on the already designed grid. Unlike other tools though, paper isn’t always as easily shared, so consider who is helping you out each day and what might also be a good way to show this individual your tracking proof too.
2. Electronic Templates Offer Access for All: Best Templates – $12
Tracking your log over time can be another way to monitor the way you’ve taken your meds vs. how they were intended to be taken. Best Templates offers downloadable versions that makes sharing with other easy, in addition to having a log for yourself to review over time.
3. Apps Work Well for Many: MyMedSchedule.com – FREE
With your phone already at your fingertips, the ability to chart the medications you take can be logged and recorded easily and quickly. The MyMed Schedule app allows you to type in and then find the medication you’re taking within its data listing, making set up easy. Establishing reminders by individual medications can then happen to help ensure there’s not a crossover of taking a medication at the wrong time.
Whatever choice you might make for your personal Daily Medication Chart, a top priority remains – taking the right pill, at the right time. More and more, the medications we’re each taking have benefits of their own impacted by combination with another drug. And so tracking, charting, recording and then sharing the information is more important than ever.
The Ōmcare Telemed System will be available in early 2019 enabling remote medication adherence assistance which will put an end to paper charts and reminder apps. Sign up to our email list to receive more information on availability and system features.