What to Do
Take a Medicine at the specific times prescribed
- Some medicines are ordered for only once a day, for example in the morning or before you go to bed.
- The purpose of a medicine determines when to take it. For example, diuretics (called water pills) are usually taken in the morning to avoid waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
- The number of times a person needs to take their medicine is on their prescription bottle. Follow this schedule. In many cases, all doses of medicine can be taken during waking hours.
- WHen a doctor prescribes a medicine for every 6 or 12 hours, keep the suggested amount of time spaced between doses throughout a day. For example, take a medicine ordered for every 6 hours, at 5 am, Noon, 6 pm, and Midnight.
- Medicines ordered "as needed" are to be taken only if a person is having a problem the medicine was prescribed to help control. For example, pain medicine as medicine for nausea are often ordered this way.
Allergic Reaction
When a person has a severe allergic reaction, know what to do. If the person has any of the problems listed below after taking a medicine, Call 911 immediately or seek emergency medical attention:
- breathing difficulties
- wheezing
- difficulty swallowing after taking a medicine
- severe swelling of the lips, tongue, eyes and face
Wear an Allergy Alert
If the person you care for has an allergy, be sure he or she wears an identification bracelet or medal. The person should never take any medicine he or she is allergic to.
If the person you care for develops a rash, call their doctor. This may occur after taking a new medicine, or it can happen without warning even if the person has been taking a medicine for a long time.
Make it Easy When Taking Medicines
Trouble swallowing
If a person has difficulty swallowing a pill or capsule, ask the doctor to order a liquid form instead. If the medicine does not come as a liquid ask the doctor or pharmacist if you can crush the medicine and place it in a small portion of the person’s food (like applesauce or mashed potatoes).
Can I Crush Pills and mix in Food ?
- Warning - Check with the pharmacist to be sure it is ok to crush a pill or tablet. Some medicines should never be crushed. Do not crush:
- Enteric coated medicines
- Long-acting medicines
- Slow-release medicines
- Capsules
- Certain capsules should not be opened and mixed with food because this will alter the action of the drug.
- Check with your pharmacist before opening any capsule to be sure that the person receives the full benefit of the medicine.
When a Person Decides to Not Take a Medicine
There are times when a person may refuse to take a medicine. Try to find out the reason they refuse. Never force a person to take a medicine. If the person continues to refuse a medicine for more than one dose, call the doctor.
When a Person Forgets to take Medicines?
Older adults and those with conditions that affect memory may not be able to remember when to take their medicines. Counting doses taken over a period of time is one way to know if they are taking their medicines correctly.
For example, let’s say you want to check how well a person does over a period of three days. If the person takes 4 different medicines – determine how many times each medicine is to be taken daily. Then for each medicine, multiply the total number of daily doses by 3. Add the totals for the total number of medicines to give over 3 days. Check each medicine bottle or container after three days and determine if they have taken too many, too few, or just the right number of medicines.
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EXAMPLE: Medicine A is taken 1 time a day = 3 every 3 days |
Count the medicines in each pill container to be sure after 3 days that the correct number have been taken.
Things your Pharmacy Can Do to Help You
- Provide easy to open container lids
Weak grasp or pain in the hands or fingers make it hard to open a medicine container. Have your local pharmacy place medicines in a screw-top container instead of a child-proof container. - Provide easier to read labels on containers
Have the pharmacy make larger typed labels on containers when a person has difficulty reading a label. - Advise about possible drug interactions
Use the same pharmacy for all of your prescriptions. Then the pharmacist will know if the person you are caring for is taking certain medicines that should not be given together. The pharmacist can contact your doctor when this occurs. - Split Pills
The pharmacist will know if it is ok to split a pill. If so, ask the pharmacist to split all of the medicines in a container for you.