How to Take Your Medicine Safely at Home

Taking medicine safely starts with following your prescribed dose and timing exactly. Inform all healthcare providers about every medication you use, including over-the-counter products. Never share prescriptions or alter tablets without consulting a professional first.

Highlights:

• Taking multiple medications simultaneously increases interaction risks, particularly when mixing prescription medicines with over-the-counter products.

• Use the tracking guidance in this article to create a comprehensive medication list including drug names, doses, start dates, and reasons for each prescription.

• Our personal care team provides medication reminders to help you maintain consistency, though dispensing requires a qualified healthcare professional.

• Never crush, chew, or break tablets without asking your pharmacist first, as some coatings control the medication's release timing.

• Check active ingredients on all medicine labels to avoid taking the same component in different products.

• Dispose of unused or out-of-date medicines through your local pharmacy or another approved return scheme. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of them safely. 

What is safe medication management? 

Taking medicine each day can feel like a lot to manage, especially when timings, doses, and instructions differ. A clear routine can make things easier and help you feel more confident at home.

Missing doses or taking medicine at the wrong time can affect your treatment. So, how can you make it a little easier to follow your doctor's orders? Read on to find out.

Important Checks Before Starting a New Medicine 

It's important that your doctor or pharmacist knows about all the medicines you're taking, including over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. Vitamins, herbal remedies, and painkillers can interact with prescribed medications, so always check the active ingredients on labels.

Checking Active Ingredients 

Taking multiple medications can lead to harmful interactions, and some may be serious. For example, aspirin can cause problems when taken with blood-thinning medicine, so check with your GP or pharmacist first.

Discussing Your Medical History 

Before you start a new medicine, let your doctor know about your medical history, any allergies, or past issues with the medicines you take. This could include breathing problems, cardiovascular disease, rashes, indigestion, or mood changes.

Here are some things to add to your to-do list:

1. Keep an up-to-date list of all the drugs and medicines you're taking to help you remember.

2. Write down when you started taking the medicines and any special instructions.

3. Keep a note about why you need a particular medication.

Some medicines can cause side effects that can vary in severity and from person to person. Some might cause a mild headache, while others could affect a person's ability to drive.

Caring for older persons at home means having a strategy. Write down any side effects you might experience so that you can accurately report them to your doctor. There may be alternative medicines available, such as generic drugs, that work the same way.

How Can Your Pharmacist Help You? 

Pharmacists are a useful source of information. A quick pharmacist consultation might save you a trip to the doctor, especially for queries about your medicines.

You should always try taking your prescriptions from only one pharmacy. This keeps all your records in one place. It also helps alert your pharmacist if a new drug might cause problems with another medication you might already be taking.

Making the Most of Your Pharmacist's Expertise

Here are some other ways your pharmacist might be able to help:

• Offering liquid alternatives to pills if you have trouble swallowing (do not crush or chew certain tablets without advice)

• Explaining medicine-label instructions if they are hard to read

• Dispensing pills into "easy-to-open" containers

• Advising on where to store your medicines

• Providing flu prevention tips to stay protected, especially during the colder months.

Why You Should Not Crush or Chew Tablets 

Do not crush, chew, divide, or open tablets unless your pharmacist or GP tells you it is safe to do so. Some medicines have special coatings or release systems that can change how the medicine works.

Managing Multiple Prescriptions and Schedules 

Good medication management starts with that list. Make sure to keep your list up-to-date with a written record of your prescription medicine or OTC medicine. Keep the medicines list in a safe place, and keep a copy with you for easy access.

You're Standing at the Kitchen Counter with Five Different Pill Bottles 

You've just returned from the GP with a new prescription, and now you're looking at the kitchen counter where your other medicines are arranged. The labels all say different things about timing - with food, without food, morning, evening. 

You're not entirely sure if this new tablet will work safely alongside the blood pressure medicine you've been taking for years. Your daughter mentioned keeping a written list, but you haven't started one yet. As you fill the kettle, you wonder if you've already taken your morning dose or if that was yesterday's confusion happening again. 

You should include the names and contact details of all your healthcare providers, including all doctors, pharmacists, homecare providers, dentists, and therapists.

Our personal care team can assist with reminders and tips for staying on track with your medications. While they cannot dispense medication, they can help ensure you stay consistent.

Safe Storage and Disposal of Old Medicines 

Always check the expiry dates on medicine bottles and pill packages. If a particular medication is past its expiry date, ask your pharmacist if they can dispose of it for you or direct you to a drug take-back programme in your area.

Remember to keep all medicines out of children's reach, especially when the packaging is easy to open. You should also try to avoid taking medicines in front of them, as they often imitate adult behaviour.

8 Practical Steps to Take Medicine Safely 

There are plenty of precautions you can take that will help you avoid problems with your medication and maximise the benefits of homecare. Here are some practical steps you can take:

1. Always Follow the Label Instructions 

Before taking any kind of medication, you should read the label. Stick to medicines that manufacturers have developed for your specific problem. For instance, do not use an over-the-counter syrup for colds if you have a cough instead.

2. Take the Recommended Dose

It's not just the ingredients of a medication that count. It's also the quantity that matters. You must take the correct dosage, as taking more won't improve results and, in some cases, could be very dangerous. If you miss a dose, read the label or ask your pharmacist or GP what to do next. Do not take a double dose unless a healthcare professional tells you to.

3. Best Time to Take Medicine 

Plenty of medications require patients to take them at the best time for optimum effect, sometimes with or without food. To stay on schedule, you could:

• Use waking up, brushing your teeth, mealtimes, or bedtime as a reminder.

• Keep a chart or calendar, or use a pillbox.

• Set timers on your phone or computer.

• Write reminders on objects you use regularly, like the fridge.

4. Turn On the Lights

Never take medicine in the dark. This prevents taking the wrong medicine or incorrect doses.

5. Contact Your Doctor if Problems Arise

If you experience any issues with any prescription drugs you are taking, talk to your doctor. Drugs can affect people differently, so you might develop side effects that most others wouldn't have.

6. Discuss Your Lifestyle with Your Doctor

Alcohol, tobacco, and other kinds of drugs can interfere with any prescribed drugs you are taking. Prepare your questions for your doctor in advance, and always be honest about your own lifestyle choices. This is especially important if you think you might be drinking above the recommended limit.

7. Complete the Course

You may feel better, but that does not necessarily mean you should stop taking your medication. This is particularly true of antibiotics. It's important to follow the instructions, and if you want to stop a course of medication early, ask your doctor first to ensure that it is safe to do so.

8. Never Share Your Medication

You should never take medicines or pills prescribed to another person. You should also never give any of your medication to somebody else.

Getting Support at Home 

Comfort Keepers Ireland can support medication routines at home with reminders and practical prompts. Our team does not dispense medication, but we can help those we support stay on track with an agreed routine.

Find out more about Comfort Keepers Ireland homecare services and how we can support you or someone close to you at home.