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Forget or muddle your pills at times?Forget or muddle your pills at times?
If you take medicines regularly, you probably have times when you can’t remember whether you’ve taken your last lot of tablets.
Medication organisers are special pill containers that help overcome these problems. They store each dose of your medicines in a series of labelled compartments, which helps you to remember to take the right medicine at the right time. If you are unsure whether you’ve taken your tablets, all you have to do is look in the relevant compartment.
Medication organisers are particularly useful if you take lots of medicines. However, they are not suitable for some medicines, such as liquid medicines, injections and tablets you take only when needed.
Medication organisers are sometimes referred to as dose administration aids, blister packs or dosette boxes.
Types of medication organisers
Filled by your pharmacist
Blister-pack medication organisers, such as the Webster-pak, are filled by a pharmacist. They usually contain a week’s supply of medicines in separate blister compartments marked for each day of the week and each dose of the day. You simply remove each dose as needed.
Pharmacist-filled medication organisers are particularly useful for people who get confused as to which medicine is which, or have difficulty remembering to take their medicines. Relatives helping a family member with their medicines may also find them useful.
If you would like to have your medicines in a blister-pack medication organiser, talk to your pharmacist and GP to make the necessary arrangements. You may be charged a small fee of about $4.00–$5.50 for the service.
If you use a blister pack and your tablets need to be changed mid week, take the pack and new prescription to the pharmacist, so they can make the necessary changes.
A blister pack medication organiser filled by a pharmacist.
Filled by you
Some medicine organisers like those in Figures A–C are designed to be filled by the user. They should be used only by people who are confident that they know which medicine is which, and when each medicine should be taken, so they don’t make any mistakes when filling the organiser.
These reusable organisers usually contain a day’s or a week’s supply of medicines. They can be bought relatively cheaply for about $5.00–$30.00 from pharmacies and large supermarkets.
A is a one-day organiser that has separate compartments for the day’s breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime doses.
B is a one-week organiser that has separate compartments for the breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime doses for a whole week.
C is a one-week organiser that has one compartment for each day of the week. This type is most useful if you take one or two medicines, or you take your medicines once a day.
MedicinesTalk is a free quarterly newsletter for consumers written by consumers about using medicines wisely. Subscribe to the hard copy version using our online ordering system, or write to MedicinesTalk, National Prescribing Service Limited, PO Box 1147, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012.
Date published: 2009-05-01 00:00:00
Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the date of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health professional. Health professionals should rely on their own expertise and enquiries when providing medical advice or treatment. Where permitted by law, NPS disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer.
References to brands should not be taken as an endorsement by NPS.
