MedActionPlan News

Using a Medication Schedule to Manage Multiple Patients

by CRoss 14. May 2010 16:48

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.

 

Very pleased user recommends MyMedSchedule site to family members

by DBrooten 11. May 2010 12:07

Denny McGinnis of Sioux City, Iowa recently shared this with his family through myfamily.com:

CHECK IT OUT—IT'S FREE
http://www.mymedschedule.com

This is something any of you retirees, non-retirees, or anyone who takes quite a few meds might be interested in.

I have quite a laundry list of meds, and keeping up on when it is time to refill them, or to get a new written prescription, has proven at times, quite a chore when they all expire at different times.

With this online program, which is FREE, you can elect to get an automated email message, text message on your cell phone, or both, when it’s time to take your meds, when it’s time to refill them, and when it’s time to ask the doctor for a new written prescription. You can print out your med schedule—regular sized paper, or wallet size for your next visit to the doctor. You can edit the dosage, time of day, or delete the meds that the doctor recommends you stop taking.

When I set up my med schedule, I elected to only have email messages sent to me to remind me to refill/get a new prescription. In the month since I set it up, I have received 4 alert/ reminder emails.

I am very pleased with this service.

Just a few words to express my gratitude for MyMedSchedule

by DBrooten 10. May 2010 08:42
“I have 15 different meds that naturally come due to refill at different times. I was having a difficult time keeping up with when to get a new scrip, or simply forgetting to order a refill. I was constantly counting pills, and still having errors in receiving and taking my meds.
 
“I have been using your plan for three weeks now, and have already received three notifications by email that it's time to get a new scrip from the doctor. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
 
“Recently I took a copy of MyMedSchedule to my doctor, showed her and her nurses what the plan can do. They were all impressed with it, as they have many patients in my circumstances.”
 
Denny McGinnis
Sioux City, Iowa

Medication Schedules for the Technologically Impaired

by CRoss 10. May 2010 07:49

How to use computers to easily remind yourself when to take medications. Easy for even the novice computer user.

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

While technology has provided us with a variety of ways to communicate, accomplish daily tasks, and keep ourselves safe, there are still those who don’t feel comfortable using computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. This can cause for a rift in communication and can make it harder for the technologically impaired to accomplish their daily tasks. 

If you know someone who is technologically impaired that is on a number of medications, you know they probably have some sort of strange and cumbersome ritual to make sure they take all the right medications everyday. They might have one of those medication organizers with the compartments for every day of the week. They might have a post-it note that tells them they have taken their medicine for the day. Some people even flip their prescription bottle upside down to tell them they have taken their medicine for the day. 

There are easier ways for people to remember to take their medications. If you are handy with technology, and you know someone who could use a little bit of help, you could show them the ropes of an online medication schedule. If you’re willing to guide them through all of the steps to making a medication schedule, they might be willing to listen. Also, it might be a good idea to try and get their doctor on board to encourage them that this is a great way to remember to take the right medicine. 

A medication schedule isn’t just about what medicines to take on what day. The more medicines you take the more complex your schedule becomes. You need to know how many pills to take at what time of day, and medication schedules will also tell you what each pill looks like and when you should get it refilled. Medication schedules make it easy for you whether you take generic brand medications or have a name brand prescription. Online medication schedules have many benefits that cannot compare to a pill organizer with compartments. 

Even if you just print out a scheduled for your loved one, you can still help them to get the full benefits of using an online medication schedule without having to “give in” to technology. People who are technology impaired are usually that way by choice. They don’t want to change their lifestyle to incorporate complex electronic devices. So, if you simply print out their weekly or monthly schedule for them, you’ll be doing them a great favor. 

While not everyone has the time and the skills to use an online medication schedule, their benefits really outweigh any setbacks. You can get medication reminders sent to your e-mail, cell phone, or sign on everyday to make sure all of your medications are in order and none of them need to be refilled. You can also talk to your doctor about creating and maintaining a medication schedule that works for you. Even if you’re technologically impaired, maybe your doctor can print out a schedule for you.