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Taking medicine at home - create a routine

It can be hard to remember to take all of your medicines. Learn some tips to create a daily routine that helps you remember.

Create a Daily Routine

Take medicines with activities that are part of your everyday routine. For example:

  • Take your medicines with meals. Keep your pillbox or medicine bottles near the kitchen table. First ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you can take your medicine with food. Some medicines need to be taken when your stomach is empty.
  • Take your medicine with another daily activity that you never forget. Take them when you feed your pet or brush your teeth.

Find Ways to Help you Remember Your Medicines

You can:

  • Set the alarm on your clock, computer, or phone for your medicine times.
  • Create a buddy system with a friend. Arrange to make phone calls to remind each other to take medicine.
  • Have a family member stop by or call to help you remember.
  • Make a medicine chart. List each medicine and the time that you take the medicine. Leave a space so that you can check off when you take the medicine.
  • Store your medicines in the same place so it is easy to get to them. Remember to keep medicines out of reach of children.

When to Call the Doctor

Talk to the provider about what to do if you:

  • Miss or forget to take your medicines.
  • Have trouble remembering to take your medicines.
  • Have trouble keeping track of your medicines. Your provider may be able to cut back on some of your medicines. (Do not cut back or stop taking any medicines on your own. Talk to your provider first.)
Review Date: 8/15/2022

Reviewed By

Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

References

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website. 20 tips to help prevent medical errors: patient fact sheet. www.ahrq.gov/patients-consumers/care-planning/errors/20tips/index.html. Updated November 2020. Accessed November 29, 2022.

National Institute on Aging website. Taking medicines safely as you age. www.nia.nih.gov/health/taking-medicines-safely-you-age. Updated September 22, 2022. Accessed July 25, 2022.

Disclaimer

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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