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Your Care at Home:
Your Care at Home:Managing Your MedicinePage 1 of 3NarratorIt’s very important to take all your medicines as your health care team ordered. Sometimes, though, life getsin the way. Problems can crop up and make it hard to stick to your meds.My friend and I have some tips for you. In the next few minutes, we’ll talk about some common problemsthat you may have with your medicines and then give you some solutions for staying on track with them.Sound good?One common problem: meds can be expensive, especially if you’re on a limited budget. Some solutions? Some organizations can help you get prescriptions at little or no cost, pparx.org is one of them. Goonline to learn more. Generics may be a less costly choice. Ask your doctor or pharmacist, and Talk to your doctor or nurse about other options.Another problem might be that you have no way to get to the pharmacy. Try contacting your local office on aging. Many communities have resources to help. Ask your doctor or nurse if mail order is an option for you. Find a pharmacy that delivers, or Ask a friend or family member for a ride.Perhaps you’ve got several meds. It can get confusing knowing when and why to take all of them. Solution:keep an up-to-date list of every medicine you take, prescription AND over-the-counter. Include how to takeeach one, when to take them and how much to take. Take this list and all your meds in their originalpackaging with you when you have a doctor appointment to make sure you have all this information right.Still confused? Try this. Use the same pharmacy or pharmacy chain for all your prescriptions. If you’retaking a lot of medicines, ask your doctor if they’re all necessary or if any of them can be combined so youhave fewer pills to deal with.Some people stop taking their medicines when it causes unpleasant side effects. If your meds give you astomachache, make you dizzy, or cause other problems, there are several things you can do. First, makesure you’re taking all your meds correctly. That means the right amount, at the right time and in the rightway, for example, taking it with food. If you’re starting a new drug with known side effects, ask if you canbegin with a smaller dose to give your body time to adjust. And know the warning signs, such as swelling ordizziness that could signal an emergency.Other medicine side effects may be a pain for your lifestyle. Maybe they make you go to the bathroom morefrequently or they wake you up at night. The answer? Don’t stop taking it! Talk to your doctor or nurse tosee if there’s a way to adjust when or how to take it so it’s not such a hassle.Problem: you just forget to take your meds. It happens. There are loads of ways to remind you to take yourpills: alarms can be set, regular or electronic pill boxes give you a visual reminder, your caregiver can keepyou on track, or a home health aide could teach you some memory aids. Many prescriptions canautomatically be refilled, one less thing to remember.Maybe the problem is you’re feeling fine. You don’t think you need a drug anymore. First and foremost,NEVER stop taking a drug without talking to your doctor first. The reason you’re feeling fine is usuallybecause the medicine is doing its job!A few final tips to make sure your medicine works for you: Don’t use expired meds If your medicine looks or smells funny, call your pharmacist before you take it Know where and how to store each medicinePage 2 of 3Never cut, chop, or crush medicine without checking with your pharmacist, this could change howthe drug works, andIf you can’t swallow pills, ask about alternatives, maybe there’s a liquid form, for example.Finally, if you notice a pill in your stool, that doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t get the benefit of it. Somepills pass through your system that way. Remember, if you’re unsure about this or any other informationabout your medicine, give your pharmacist a call.© The Wellness NetworkPage 3 of 3
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