One of the main risks of being prescribed multiple medications is that of overdosing. This is especially true for older people in particular, who may be more forgetful and end up taking too much of a medication simply because they’ve forgotten they’ve already taken it that day. Even if you’re younger, the stress and bustle of everyday life can quickly lead us to forget things or make errors. But, when you’re dealing with medication, a small error could potentially be dangerous. So, with that in mind, we’ve put together some top tips to help you make sure that you don’t accidentally overdose when taking a lot of different medications.

Use a Pill Counter:

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to ensure that you’re taking the right amount of your prescribed medications is to use a pill counter. Similar to the electronic pill counter that your pharmacist will use when dispensing pills, personal pill counters are designed to help you keep track of how many pills you have taken, which ones you still need to take and how many you have left.

Keep a Schedule:

When you’re taking multiple pills, you might need to take certain ones at various times of the day. For example, some pills must be taken on an empty stomach, whilst others can only be taken safely once you have had some food to eat. Some pills are best taken first thing in the morning, whilst for others, it’s recommended that you take them at night. So, having a schedule for each day, that you can tick off when you’ve taken a pill, is an easy but effective method of making sure that you keep track of your medication.

Take Pills at the Same Time:

Although it may not be possible for certain people and largely depends on the guidelines for the medications that you are taking, if you can, taking your pills at the same time each day will help you to avoid any errors in dosage. For example, if you wake up and take all of your medication in the morning with your breakfast, you won’t need to worry about them then for the rest of the day. Be sure to check your medication before doing this, however, as some medications must be taken at certain times. You could adjust your time to suit one medication which is less flexible in this matter.

Count Your Pills:

Keeping track of how many pills that you have will not only make sure that you get the correct dosage, it’s also handy for making sure that you never run out and get caught short. Counting your pills might be a bit of tedious task, however, you can make it easier by using a tally chart or making notes of how many you have when you first get your pills, and then marking it down as you take them. This way, you’ll always know how many pills you’re supposed to have at any one time.

Taking a lot of medication in a day leaves a lot of room for forgetfulness, but with these handy tricks, you can always keep on track.