As a teenager and in my early 20’s I was the type of person who would take 13 days to finish a 10-day antibiotic regimen. I just couldn’t get in the habit of remembering medications so I’d always miss a few.

When I had my first epileptic seizure at age 23, and a second two days later and was told I now had epilepsy and would require seizure medication to keep myself from having more seizures? I knew that I had to find a way to get good at remembering my medications, and fast.

Medication Reminder Tools

1. A pill organizer. While this isn’t exactly a medication reminder, it is a great way to check if you have missed a dose. The next time you find yourself thinking “Did I take my pills this morning?” you’ll be able to check your pill organizer and see if the slot is filled or not. Of course, it is vitally important that you continue to refill your pill organizer on time so that you can use it to verify. My medications are twice a day so I sought out an organzier with an AM row and a PM row.
2. Use your phone alarm. If you keep your cell phone on you and keep it charged, setting an alarm to go off daily at the time(s) of day when you should be taking your medications will be a great medication reminder. Many who have AM and PM meds will try to remember to do it on wake-up and right before bed. I prefer ot set a specific time of day (I do 10am and 10pm) so that I don’t go too long between doses if I stay up really late some weekend and sleep in really late the next day. Yes, this occasionally means that I am asleep and have to wake up to take my pills but I’d rather that then going too long between doses.
3. Google Keep. This app is essentially a to-do list where you can schedule tasks at set intervals. You can create a medications list and add it for the frequency required for your meds (For example, am and pm daily). Once you take your meds you can mark them as done in Google Keep as a way of keeping track of the fact that they were taken.
4. Keep a spare. On rare occasion I have had my pill reminder alarm go off when I’m not at home and therefore don’t have meds. So even though I know I need to take my pills, I can’t! To avoid that conundrum, keep a spare dose of your medication in your purse, glove box or wallet. That way you’ll have a backup in case of emergency.
5. Less frequent doses. My dad used to be on a single medication that had to be taken 4 times per day! He regularly missed doses because it was just too frequent to keep up with for him. If you are taking medication several times per day, ask your doctor if there are other options. For example, my seizure medication was originally prescribed to me twice a day. I got in the habit of taking mine twice a day so I have stuck with it, but my neurologist did let me know it is available in a once a day, extended release form if that is easier for me to remember. So if you are taking medication multiple times a day and struggling, check with your doctor to see if there are other options.

Using this combination of medication reminders, I have only missed two doses of medication in the last year. This is pretty incredible compared to how forgetful I used to be with my medications. If you are on vital medications, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about what to do if you are late on a dose. For example, I am supposed to take my seizure pills about once every 12 hours. Early on, I asked my neurologist what to do if I realized I missed my morning dose but I was only an hour shy of my PM dose. Do I double up or just wait until the next dose? What if I realize I missed it just 4 hours late? It will vary depending on your condition(s) and your medications but it’s important to know what to do in the event of being late.

Do you have any medicine reminder tools that you use? I’d love to hear what works for you!

Emily

Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.

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