HI,
I have a friend who is suddenly in the position of managing his two
elderly parents who have dementia. To say he is overwhelmed is an
understatement. There are lots of meds and doctors to deal with which are
all kind of new to him. He and his wife do have some medical issue but now
they are juggling all of this. He kept saying he had to find out how I did
ours. So I wrote it all up. So here is my system. I say medication but I
also do this for supplements, vitamins, etc. When I list things for
doctors, I list prescription medications taken daily, weekly, PRN ( as
needed), over the counter supplements, vitamins, and make sure to include
lotions, eye drops, etc. I have it divided into sections. Once you have
this set up, it is so much easier and those forms at doctor visits are
easier too.
So here it is for anyone interested. I posted this on various lists I am
on. At the bottom are some comments that came up from responses.
Here are the notes on how I manage the medications. This is my system.
Yes, I have and do this stuff cause it makes it much easier when you have a
bunch of people on a bunch of meds.
When I get a medication I write on the top of the bottle the initials of the
meds or first few letters of the meds name and the month the meds arrived.
That way in a drawer or container, I can have them sorted by medication and
use the older meds first. I put the papers that need to shredded in the
shred pile. I put in my electronic calendar when the prescription should be
refilled. I list the first name of person, med name, script number,
pharmacy phone, number of refills left, expiration date, and note if it is
on auto refill.
For example,
Nedra, hydrocholorot, #6645646, 800-900-4444, 2 ref, exp 7-25-11, auto.
If a med is going to need a refill, about a week before or a few days before
( depending if there is a holiday and how quick your doctor tends to be) it
due to be refilled I put the name, med, dose, number needed, pharmacy number
and doctor's name and phone number.
For example
Nedra, hydrocholorot, 12.5 mg, #90, 800-900-4444, Jones, 972-432-1243.
I keep the medication bottles that we are using in large plastic bins.
Bottles of medications that are not yet opened are kept in a drawer
alphabetically and in order so that older ones are the front. So meds that
start with an A are on the left and if I have a bottle that I got in Jan it
is in front of the bottle I got in March so it will be used first. Yes, I
have been doing this that long, that I have this system.
I have a Word file for each of us that has all of our medications and over
the counter things ( vitamins) that we take daily and PRN ( as needed).
It is listed
Nedra Irwin
date of birth
Prescription medications
name of medication dosage how often taken
daily listed first, then list PRN
Over the counter listed.
Note any medications that you are allergic to.
Update this with any medication change.
Keep one copy in a plastic protective sheet in the plastic bin and it will
help you make up the medication every day. If you like, you can make a copy
that is divided up by time of day when the medication is due
Nedra
AM Meds
Dinner Meds
PM Meds
I make up the next day meds each night. We use those medication divided
organizers that have morn, noon, dinner, night. If all of your meds,
supplements If won't fit in one of those compartments, and we have that
situation for a couple of us, there are very small Tupperware/ Rubbermaid
type things that are like shot glass size. On each organizer, I write the
name of the family member with a sharpie. It usually lasts a few weeks.
When it gets blurry, I wipe it off with rubbing alcohol and re-do it. When
the meds are done, I put them one place in the kitchen so it is clear to
check if someone took their meds or not. PRN meds I always have in my purse
and dh has in his car, gym bag for Matt's seizures. I just got a cool
little cylinder that will attach to anything at the check out at Walgreens
for about $2. It is about 2 inches long and twists open.
Also whenever you have a doctor appointment PRINT out a copy of the Word
file and take it along with you to give the doctor. You know when you get
there, they are going to give you those forms to fill out and there won't be
enough room to put the meds in. Also it saves you time and it is more
clearly noted than you could ever write it. Yes, I do this. And do it for
repeat appointments because doctors are asking for it even on repeat
appointments. If they don't ask for it, just put it in your wallet and you
have it for next time.
I like the auto reorder for some of our meds. But I pick and choose which
ones. With colds, or other complications, sometimes meds get forgotten.
Some of my meds I can't take for a variety of reasons. So if the medication
is expensive and based on deductible and when medications are going to
expire, I keep an eye on things. So there are times I take things off of
automatic and others I put on.
For example, I have a prescription eye drop that I take for my Sjogren's
that is very expensive. I found out through a support group that the
manufacturer had a program with lots of rebates. Hey at this point, even
with insurance, you can get rebates on lots of meds. I got a check for 35
dollars for the second refill on something Nick is on for acne. Cha Ching!
Anyway, I signed up for this program. I was to get 2 weeks free and maybe
a check for 20 bucks each year. Well over time I also learned that if I
used the eye drops correctly ( they come in capsules for daily use and I am
to use them a drop in the am and pm) but if I put the capsule in the fridge,
I can save and only use one capsule a day instead of two. Some doctors
recommend that. So with all the deals, I literally have not had to fill a
prescription for this medication all year. I had stuff stored up, had the
extra they gave me for a few years, and with using the fridge, I still have
stuff left.
* Someone asked how to find the rebates-
You can just do a search and many will come up. I would trust the ones that
are linked to the manufacturer. I found one for my mother-in-law when she
was visiting a couple of years ago. I just put in the name of the med and
rebate. Sometimes the doctors tell you about them. Most you have to pay
and then you get the money back. Search under the name of the medication
and or the name of the manufacturer. Sometimes you will find a rebate when
a generic is offered. Also shop around at different pharmacies. Prices do
vary.
Now I haven't taken cheap to the point that some have. There were eye
lubricants that many with Sjogren's adored and I used. They basically are
vaseline with no additives ( additives are bad for dry eyes) and come in a
tube. I use them twice a day. Most of the manufacturer stopped making them
as they were cheaper products but the liability was too much. It was a
huge panic on online support. People were searching everywhere because the
next notch up of stuff is over twice as much. Well, people found that it
was still available but only from .............veterinary suppliers. Many
are ordering it and some are saying it meets the same standards but I don't
know if I want to trust my eyes to that as they are prone to infection due
to the disease to begin with.
Nedra
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