“I’m always forgetting to take my pills.”
By: Laurie Gelb
Tags: Medication Adherence, Self Care, Medication Management, Prevention, Disease

Is forgetting really the problem?

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

When people say, “I forgot to take my drug,” some of the things they really mean are:

They’re not sure they need it or need to get some reinforcement on that

They’re not sure they want to take it (maybe because of side effects or they’re not sure it’s working)

They’ve run out, or are about to run out, and paying for more is a problem, or maybe their refills have run out and it’s tedious to get more

They want to “hoard” the drug for when they really need it (especially for migraine, pain and sleep medications, which often have quantity limits)

They don’t like feeling that they “need drugs.”

Begone, Medication Barriers

Some thought may reveal that one or more of these reasons for “forgetting” applies to you. If so, for first steps, you could:

Have a heart-to-heart with a nurse, diabetes educator, pharmacist or physician about why you’re taking this drug

Check into patient assistance programs. Google the drug and “patient assistance.” But try to buy all your drugs in one place, to have a more accurate record in an emergency.

If you’re paying a lot for a “non-preferred brand,” ask your physician if a generic or preferred brand might be right for you

Update your physician as to how the drug is working and any side effects when you take it. It may be time to add a new drug, change your dosage, or change drugs. It might also be worth trying another approach to your condition, such as massage, physical therapy, etc.

Speak Up!

You might worry about admitting you haven’t been taking meds consistently, or be afraid that the physician will question you about that. You may wonder if the physician really wants to know, or if you will be judged.

Judge Judy is not going to grill you.

Why would your physician not want to know how you’re really doing with the prescription(s) she thinks you’re taking? Not knowing what’s really happening weakens her ability to treat you appropriately, which is what she’s there for.

Be honest; full disclosure to a physician (or any health care professional) doesn’t mean being judged, but being helped.

How Much Does Correct Dosing Matter?

Maybe affordability, access and your knowledge of the drug are not issues, and pills just aren’t usually on your agenda…or at least, not at the same time each day. Now what?

For most medicines, if you accidentally miss a dose, you should take it as soon as you remember, but always check the label when you start a drug to be sure of that. There’s a threshold where it’s better just to take the next dose, even if a tad early.

Give Your Memory Some Air

Let’s say “forgetting” is a real thing for you. No single strategy for dosing meds daily helps everyone, but almost everyone can find something that works. Here are some to try.

Buy a Pillbox

You can buy a 7-day pillbox to store a week’s worth of vitamins, meds and supplements. Many pillboxes have two or four compartments — one each for morning/evening doses, or getting more granular with morning, afternoon, evening, bedtime.

And where should you put the bottles that are supplying the pillbox? Some pharmacists recommend a linen closet. The goal is a dark, cool environment (inaccessible to any kids or pets at risk). A high kitchen cabinet is another option, but not near heat. Bathrooms have too much moisture to be good pill storage.

Of course, this strategy also requires remembering to refill the pillbox, so you’re never using the empty box as an excuse to skip. Some people tie this to the end or beginning of the week, laundry day, clean-the-bathroom day, or any other day that says “do weekly things” for you.

Tie Your Dose to Something Close

Having your pillbox as a visual cue is step one. Step two is tying your dose to something else you do every day about the same time, such as brushing your teeth, putting on your glasses, drinking coffee, etc. When pairing these two things (or more) becomes natural, forgetting will be much harder.

Partner Up

Enlist your spouse, kids, roommate or partner. After all, how long did it take to remember that trash day is Thursday? But now you know.

Get Alarmed

Use whatever device(s) you can’t escape to receive daily reminders (as well as the weekly “fill the pillbox” reminder), if that’s what it takes. Pair the alarm with a pic of someone you’d like to keep spending time with.