If you've tried pillboxes, checklists and calendars and still have the occasional head-slapping moment, here's some good news: A few new tools may be just the trick to help keep you on track.

 

Have a smart phone? Download an app. Lots of apps let you track the meds you take regularly - the iPills app doesn't cost a dime! Or, for $4, you can download MedsLog, an app that lets you set an alarm to remind you to take your medicine, including Rx and over-the-counter pills, creams and ointments; plus, there's no limit to how many drugs you can add! It tracks when to take your next dose, stats such as blood pressure and blood sugar readings, and lets you email data to yourself or your doctor.

 

Can't remember when you took your last dose? Try a cap that'll remind you. For just $3.50, you can replace the cap on your prescription bottle with the Rx Timer Cap. a digital built-in timer resets itself every time you open the bottle - that means you know when you took your last dose and when you'll need to take the next one.

 

On -the-go all the time? Get organized with cubes. With the $25 Multi-Alarm Cube from epill.com, you can neatly stack up to four cubes filled with your medications - making it easy to travel with them from home to work and to school. Flip open each lid to use the timer, which can be set up to 24 times. Each stackable cube indicates when you've missed taking a pill, helping you to stay on track!

 

Ask your doctor about streamlining your medication. Be sure your primary healthcare provider knows about all the medications you've been prescribed. It's possible he may be able to make your regimen a bit easier - for example, by changing several-times-a-day dosing to once-a-day dosing or combining medications.

 

By Stephanie Guzowski, Heart Care of Healthmonitor Winter 2011

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