Patients’ adherence to therapy and understanding of medication improve significantly when they use the MedActionPlan for Organ Transplant (MAP-OT) patient education tool, according to two recent studies conducted at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

The studies are summarized in the Spring 2010 newsletter of the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS).

Read more here. 

Learn how technology has made it simpler to organize our lives. Discover how the internet can help remind you to take your medications.

To find a free tool that reminds you to take your medication via text messaging and email go to http://www.mymedschedule.com.

There are a number of different things you can do with technology, but one of the ways you can use the newest and latest innovations is to keep your life in order. An old fashioned organizer can be big and bulky and as pages will rip and fall out, you might lose important information. Electronic methods of organization are much easier to keep track of.

If you are a student, electronic calendars can help you make sure all of your assignments are in on time. They can also help you remember when you have class and meetings with study groups or professors. If you are an adult with a family who has gone back to school, you can make sure you make all of your classes but also get your kids to soccer and extracurricular activities on time.

If you are on any kind of medication, you can use an electronic medication schedule to keep track of when to take your medication. Even if you must take multiple pills a day, an electronic schedule will help you keep everything straight. They will provide a picture and tell you how much medicine you should take at each dose. They can also contain information about the medication, such as side effects and what the generic version is. Some electronic schedules even include a feature that can tell you when your medication needs to be refilled.

If you work hard at your job, and electronic organizer can help you stay ahead of the game. Electronic organizers that have an internet feature can help you to e-mail clients or coworkers from any place at any time. You can schedule flights and book hotels for business trips and even rent a car. You can look up the latest tips and news in your career field. You can also keep track of important meetings and your payday as well.

You can use spreadsheets on your computer to make schedules for other things. You can make a chore list that your kids must complete by the time they get home or a grocery list. You can even get certain programs on your cell phone that will keep track of all the clothes you have in your wardrobe. This way you can plan your outfit and your next purchase based on the clothing and accessories you already own. You can plan out a budget too, so you’ll have the extra money to spend on some clothes.

Electronic organizers vary. You can buy a cell phone that doubles as an organizer, like a Blackberry. If you’re looking for something less expensive, you can find electronic schedulers online for free. These types of schedules can be seen when you’re online, but they can also send alerts to your cell phone so that you know when to take medications, go to class, and other useful forms of information. Technology makes keeping track of your life much easier. 

A unique and reliable way to organize your medication schedule. This innovative way will help you remember to take your medicines on time.

To find a free tool that helps organize your medication into a schedule and sends you reminders via email and text go to http://www.mymedschedule.com.

Even if you’re young and have a sharp memory, you might still benefit from a medication schedule if you have more than one vitamin or medication you’re taking. Old or young, with the advancements in technology these days, there are medications and treatments for everything. There are a number of options available when it comes to finding a medication reminder, but how do you find the one that’s right for you?

It’s important to take your medication on time, because of the different effects it has on you. Some medications should be taken with food, at night, with other medications, without other medications. Some medications require you not to drive for a certain amount of time after you take them. Even vitamins react with your body in different ways, and it may be more beneficial to your health to take certain vitamins at certain times of the day. 

Now that you know why it’s important to take medication on time, you need to find a medication schedule that works for you. If you’re the kind of person that is attached at the hip to your cell phone, there are programs or applications available to help you remember when to take your medication by sending a medication reminder to your phone. It can come in the form of an alarm, or you can even set your phone on vibrate to keep the medication reminder more discreet.

If you’re not keen on keeping up with the latest in technology, you can use a paper schedule to help you remember your medication schedule. This way, you can also take it to the doctor’s office with you and have your doctor make sure you’re doing everything correctly. If you need assistance remembering when to take your medication, you can have someone else fill out the schedule for you. You just need to make sure that you remember to fill out the schedule when you purchase your new medication.

Computer technology has really revolutionized how people remember to take their important medications. If you’re a caretaker, you can use a computer program to make a medication reminder for your sick family member. You can track when it’s time to refill medications, how much medication should be taken every day, and when it should be taken. Anywhere you have the internet you can access your medication information. 

Look at the other ways you remind yourself of things that are important. This is probably going to be the best way to set up a working medication reminder. If you stick post-it notes all around your house, a simple post-it note on the bathroom mirror could help you remember to take your medication every morning. If you can’t remember things very well, you could put the bottle of pills in your shoe every night, so you literally trip over your medication in the morning and remember to take it. It’s important to use whatever method works best for you.

Learn new ways to handle the organization of your medications. Using the internet and technology is a powerful tool to help you stay informed and remind to take your medications. Discover a free useful tool that can help you.

For more information or to find a free tool that sends you emails and text messages to remind you to take your medication go to http://www.mymedschedule.com.

Your life as you know it is over. You’ve just been diagnosed with a disease or ailment that requires a lot of care and attention. You’re afraid it will interfere with school, time with your kids, your favorite sport or hobby. You’re afraid, but in the back of your mind you want to live as normal a life as possible. 

How do you stay positive when your life and schedule have changed to revolve around this disease? First of all, be happy and lucky that you were diagnosed in time and that you’re still alive. A diagnosis doesn’t have to be a death sentence; in fact, it can be the opposite if you learn to take care of yourself properly. 

The internet is a great tool for anyone recently diagnosed or suffering from a disease. There are a lot of support groups and helpful information on the internet. You can learn what to ask your doctor, what symptoms to be aware of, and how other people integrate the disease into their lives and maintain a regular life and schedule. You can even use the internet to meet people in your area who are experiencing or have experienced the same things as you. 

The internet is also a great place to monitor your diagnosis. If you have to track certain symptoms or pain, you can log these in an online journal. That way, you can update your information from anywhere by simply using your cell phone. You can also create a medication schedule that reminds you when to take the different medicines you are on. If you have your medication schedule sent to your phone, people will think you’re receiving a text message from a friend, when really you’re receiving a friendly reminder to stay well. 

If you’re looking for a support group in your area or a way to let out your feelings, visit your local library or doctor’s office. These places often have information about niche groups that meet monthly, weekly, or even more frequently. Chances are, if you’re dealing with a major illness, you’re going to need a support system.

Maybe you haven’t been diagnosed with a disease, but someone close to you has. You can still help them set up a medication schedule online. You can find support groups for family members of someone who has been diagnosed with an illness. No matter how rare the ailments your loved one is suffering from, the internet will most likely have some sort of information about it. 

So, in conclusion, if you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with a life altering disease, don’t panic. Know that others are going through or have gone through the same thing as you, and that some of these people are willing to talk and tell you about their experience. Stay positive through a support group of friends, family, or even strangers that know what you’re feeling. Create a medication schedule so that you can carry on with your life as normally as possible.

MedicineNursing.com features an article about MyMedSchedule:

“As a person caring for a family member who is dependent on prescription medication due to a chronic illness, I have found MyMedSchedule to be invaluable,” said Donna Hargett. “I was originally introduced to the program by the staff at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis when my husband underwent a transplant. They use it all the time, and share it with all of their transplant patients. The site is wonderful. I don't know how I could have managed my husband's medications without it.” 

Read the rest of the article at MedicineNursing.com.

Medication errors are a significant problem facing healthcare organizations, particularly in areas like transplantation which require complex regimens. With that in mind, transplant pharmacists at the University of California San Diego Medical Center have undertaken several initiatives to help improve compliance and reduce errors. 

View the following excerpts from the Winter issue of the UCSD Journal of Nursing to see how the UCSD team integrates MedActionPlan to help educate patients about their medication regimens.

UCSD_Nursing_Winter09.pdf (552.60 kb)

Free online program allows pharmacists and patients to create customized printable treatment plans.

This article originally appeared on the website of the Iowa Pharmacy Association. Used with permission.

Do you struggle to help your patients improve their medication adherence? According to the Center for Technology and Aging report, 23% of all nursing home admissions are a result of poor medication compliance. Whether it is one medication or 15, pharmacists, patients, and caregivers are challenged daily to ensure medications are taken correctly and on time. 

MyMedSchedule.com may offer a solution to the growing problem of poor adherence. This new, free online program is set up so that patients can create and print or email personalized dosing schedules that include the name, strength, and picture of the drug as well as specific dosing instructions for each medication. This tool is also a great way for pharmacists to assist patients with adherence issues by either creating the medication list for the patient or simply helping them use the service. The program includes patient-friendly education handouts in Spanish, English, large font, and wallet-sized cards as well as email and text message reminders that notify patients when to take a certain medication or simply when a drug is due for a refill.

If you are interested in a more extensive service, another free tool, MedActionPlan.com, allows providers to create profiles that include documentation of allergies as well as assistance in dosing schedules, anticoagulation titration schedules and Diabetes management in addition to the dosing handouts mentioned above. This is a universal service that can be utilized in any type of pharmacy setting, whether you practice inpatient, outpatient, retail, or in a variety of other types of pharmacy settings.

According to Donna Gemme Brooten, Director of Marketing and Client Relations of MedActionPlan, “Over 50% of the hospitals that use MedActionPlan use their pharmacist team as the lead for the program and for patient education. It is used as an education and adherence tool for in-patient and at discharge, and also in clinic and outpatient settings.”

Again, MyMedSchedule and MedActionPlan are both free and can be accessed from any computer as long as Internet is available and Javascript is turned on. They are HIPAA compliant, and the online tutorials are quick and easy to follow. The program is endorsed by several national organizations such as American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN), The Organization for Transplant Professionals (NATCO), and the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS) as well.

Most importantly, however, is that through the use of printed daily schedules, specific dosing instructions, and reminders, pharmacists can help patients improve their medication compliance. This can increase medication efficacy and enhance the patient’s quality of life--all free of charge.

For more information on utilizing MyMedSchedule.com, visit the website http://www.MyMedSchedule.com to view the tutorials. If you are interested in using MedActionPlan.com, visit the website www.MedActionPlan.com. For either service, call 800-543-2230 with questions, or contact Donna Gemme Brooten.

References:

• www.MedActionPlan.com
• www.MyMedSchedule.com
• "Optimizing Medication Use in Older Adults." Center for Technology and Aging. (October 2009): 1-32. Print.

“Wow! This website made it super easy to organize and remind me of my pill schedule after surgery. My favorite feature was the printable charts that showed a picture and description of my medications, so there was no confusion. The text message reminders were an added bonus. Using MyMedSchedule gave me peace of mind that I was taking the right medications at the right times. Absolutely love this service, and recommend it to anyone taking medication.”

Andrew F.
Student, Appalachian State ’11

Learn about what you should know about generic and brand name medications. Also, learn about a free service to remind you to take your medication.

To find a free service that reminds you to take your medication via email and text messaging go to http://www.mymedschedule.com.

When you’re prescribed medicine, sometimes you may not realize what you’re being prescribed is actually a generic version of a common medicine you may have heard of. Is there really that big a difference between the generic version of prescriptions and the name brand version? Sometimes name brand versions can be more costly, but does that mean they are less effective?

Name brand versions of medication are highly advertised, in magazines, on television, and in many other places. While they have the same active ingredient as generic brands, they can often be more expensive due to the advertising costs. While some people might look down on the fact that name brand medication costs more because of advertising, it can also mean that more people have tried the product and can vouch for its effectiveness. 

Since name brand medications are more well-known, it can also be easier to incorporate them into complex medication schedules. For people with a lot of medications to take, they might choose to use a medication scheduler online to help them take all of the medicines on time. If you’re taking brand name medicine, you can make a schedule complete with photos of what the pills look like, so you won’t risk confusing prescriptions. 

Some people claim that the name brand version of medications work more effectively than the generic brands, and while this may be true, the FDA has to approve all ingredients in any medication. Often times, generic medicines have the same side effects and precautions as name brand medications, but not any more of a risk than the name brand ones. The dosage amount is also usually the same. 

Studies have found that some generic forms of medication are owned by the companies that distribute the name brand ones, so either way, the patient and medical insurance are sending their money to the same place. Generic medications usually don’t look as interesting or colorful as the name brand ones. Some people think that they are manufactured in worse facilities than name brand medications, but the FDA requires that all medications sold in the U.S. be manufactured in regulated places. 

If you’re using a medication schedule to help you remember when to take your prescriptions, you’ll need to put in the dosage amount and how frequently you’ll be taking it. Good medication schedule websites will not only include name brand medications, but generic ones as well. They will also have an option to remind you when it is time to refill your medication. 

If you have any questions about name brand and generic medications or how to set up the proper medication schedule for your prescriptions, don’t hesitate to ask your physician. They can even help you set up a medication schedule that works for you and your lifestyle. They will be able to tell you when to take each medicine and how much to take. While generic and name brand medications are essentially the same, it’s still important to take them as directed. 

Discover a new way to remind yourself or your patients to take medications utilizing email and text messaging.

To find a free service that allows you to design a medication schedule and remind you to take your medication go to http://www.mymedschedule.com.

If you’re a caregiver or you have multiple people in your home that need medicine, keeping your schedules and medicines organized can become somewhat difficult. The internet now has great resources to ensure that every gets their medicine refilled when necessary and takes it on time. 

The best electronic medication schedules have all the bells and whistles to help you take the correct medicine at the right time of day. They are also simple enough for anyone to use, so you won’t have to worry about confusion. The programs will often have walkthroughs or demo versions, so you can see how the scheduler is going to work before you have to fill in all the information. 

If a caregiver has multiple patients, it might be difficult to keep all the medication schedules straight. You can schedule reminders to come to you by e-mail and cell phone, and you can even have these reminders sent straight to the patients, so they can take the proper medication when you aren’t there to administer to it. You can also print out schedules that have photos of what the medicine looks like, so the patient won’t be taking the wrong one.

You can also print out these schedules, so that if a person has multiple caregivers they can write down what medication was taken and when. Multiple people can monitor the health of a patient with an electronic and paper schedule. A caregiver can initial by the proper medication and go on with her life. 

Patients can also take their medicine schedules to the doctor and work with them about changing different medications and refilling the ones you need. They can help you weigh the pros and cons of getting name brand medication or generic brands that generally cost less. They can also help you decide which medicines are best for your medical insurance to help you save money. 

Medication schedules also work with pets as well. If you have multiple animals that have recently been to the vet, they may need a certain medication regimen. Animals and pets can’t tell you when it’s time to take their meds, so it’s important to use a medication schedule to make sure that you get them the right medicine, mix it in with their food, or drop it onto their coat. 

If you have a medication regimen and so does your husband, it might be difficult to determine whose medication goes to whom. If you have to take a medication early in the morning, you might grab the wrong one before you put your glasses on. A medication schedule will show you what your medicine looks like so you don’t take the wrong one. 

If you have multiple people in your family that need medical attention and care, a medication schedule is the perfect way to keep track of everything. If you’re a caregiver it can make your life a lot easier. No matter the reason, electronic medication schedules are a great way to stay organized.