WHY DO YOU NEED TO TAKE THEM?
It is important that you take your medications to get the best possible results from the treatment.
TIPS AND METHODS TO REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE MEDICATIONS
You may have been prescribed several medications for heart failure and have to take them at different times of the day. The following tips and methods can help you remember to take your medications at the right time with prescription Hope:
- Put a chart on the wall with the names of the medications, the dose and the time of day you have to take them.
- Buy a pillbox that indicates the days of the week and the hours of the day. You can usually find it at the pharmacy. Fill it out at the beginning of the week to take control. Ask a family member or nurse to check the pillbox to see that everything is going well.
- Put an alarm to remind you that you have to take a medication at a specific time.
- Discuss your medication regimen with family and friends so they can remind you. Take your medications by making a daily habit, such as brushing your teeth, eating breakfast or dinner.
- Remember to take your medications when you leave home and then be sure to take them on time. Take a sufficient amount of medication when you go on vacation, always put it in your carry-on bag and do not forget your doctor’s prescription.
- Renew your prescriptions in advance so you do not run out of medication.
- If you have trouble organizing your tablets, talk to your primary care doctor or pharmacist. Some pharmacists will provide blisters with the tablets already ordered in daily doses.
- If you can not leave your home and have trouble taking your tablets, your primary care doctor can arrange for a nurse to visit you to order your tablets in a pillbox. The nurse can visit you every day to help you take the pills, although this service only works if you can not take your tablets in any other way.
OTHER MEDICATIONS WITH AND WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION
Some prescription drugs can interact with your pills and cause side effects if you take them together. You should remember that you can also purchase over-the-counter medications that interact with your medication for heart failure. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start taking other prescription or over-the-counter medications.