I have been staying with my mom following surgery which impacted her eyesight. I noticed she was emptying her medications from the container onto a napkin prior to taking them. Most pills are white, most napkins are white. I searched local thrift shops and found a 3 x 5 inch black tray, similar to those used in restaurants for leaving the check.
By Stef from New London, CT
This page contains the following solutions.
My long term prescriptions are filled via Internet and sometimes I'd forget which one had been refilled. Although we receive a confirmation email, all they give you are the numbers and it's inconvenient to be checking all of the bottles for a match.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How can I organize my pill bottles? I have around 20 pill bottles all thrown into a drawer and it's not working for me. I take I'd say about 15 different pills a day, but I keep them in a weekly organizer.
The problem comes when it's time to organize my meds for the week! It takes forever because 10 of the bottles are prescription so they all look the same! Help.
By Jennie from Tempe, AZ
Get a spice rack, even one of the wooden ones that spin, simply put your pills in them, perhaps alphabetically, or simply line them up alphabetically if you choose to do so, in your medicine cabinet! Voila! If you take them in your kitchen, a spice rack would be best.
Maybe use a plastic shoe box to put them in? Use a parker to write the names of the medications on the lids so that you can tell at a glance what the medication is without having to pick each bottle up & look at the label. You could even put a piece of tape on the lid to write the name & dosage on.
My mother gets her prescriptions at Target, they put rings around the necks in colors that can help organize meds. One color for morning, one for evening and one for other times. They also print the name of the medication on the top of the bottle.
I use a marker to write AM, PM or noon on top of the lid. I also find it helpful to have an extra weekly organizer and do it for 2 weeks at a time. I keep the bottles in a cardboard shoe box with an attached lid.
I also take a lot of meds. I write the name of the med on the bottle tops with a sharpie. I then stand the bottles upright in a basket. The drawer would work as well. I also have taped a med list on the bathroom mirror so everything is organized for AM and PM meds.
Why not get a bunch of different colored markers and color-code the bottles? When you refill the Rx, immediately mark it with the color you had previously been using. A simple color band through the label should do the trick.
I use weekly organizers for my medications, but put a different medication in each weekly organizer section using the following method. Use different color permanent markers and put a mark or colored shape on the top of the pill bottles, and then put the same mark or colored shape on each of the individual weekly organizer sections.
Good Cheers, Fellow Pill-taker,
I take a great number of RX's, mysef,some daily, as prescribed, others, as needed. I also have the vitamins and minerals that I'm supposed to take daily. I have devised a two part system to enable me to organize my daily and monthly supply. When the medications come in, I write the name of the RX and the month and year in thin Sharpie pen on top for easy reading. I place two Rubbermaid "lazy susans" or turn tables on the counter, on which I put each bottle, alphabetically, facing outward.
You can either alphabetize the pills into the compartments or place them according to the times you take them. Then write all the information for your RX two times on one label, if you are using the 3X1 inch size. Write the name of the medication, milligrams, and dosage, along with AM, PM, Mid-day or Night, once each on half the label. So, in effect you have two labels now to put in two places, matching labels for inside the lid area that corresponds with the Pill Box compartment, and then the matching half for inside the edge of the corresponding opening. I have done this for twenty years. Once you go through this system, it's easy to pack for traveling, changing from kitchen to bathroom, etc. If you wish I would be glad to set up the system for you.
I love how easy and fun this is.
I take several a day and I love ALL these ideas, especially the spice rack idea! I use little baskets and keep them in their bottles and put them on the top shelf in the bathroom for night meds. Meds that throughout the day are in the cabinet in the kitchen on inside of the door, same idea. Get a little basket just wide enough for pill bottles to be lined up, side by side, one row only on the door. So all I have to do is open the door and they are right there. Wish all the best to you!
I write the name of the medicine in large letters with a black magic marker on the front of the bottle. It helps with poor eyesight at my age!
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After I missed taking my medicine on time a few days when I was away from home, I realized that I had to do something. Now I take along a bottle of water with me wherever I go and have one of those little "daily pill containers" with single doses of my medications in it.
When you need to take more than one medicine during the day, there are a number of ways you can help yourself stay organized and remember. This is a page about keeping track of medication.
If you are going on a trip, you need to make sure you have your medication refilled prior to going. It is recommended to bring your original packaging with you to avoid any problems.
I love these little pill boxes they give out free at the pharmacy in Walmart where I get my prescriptions filled. They are white with raised letters and very good quality.
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My husband has numerous medical problems. He is disabled and I work most of the time.
If you're on any medications or taking any vitamins or herbs, keep a list of them on your refrigerator, at all times.
