I was trying to find some medicine today and realised I need a better system to organise what I have and know what I don’t have. Currently, everything is kind of thrown into a drawer.
Ideally it will be seamless enough that it doesn’t become a chore when I need to add or remove something.
EDIT:
Thank you for all the suggestions thus far. I just want to make a small clarification.
I’m not looking for a system to organise the medicine/vitamins that I am currently taking (although the ideas provided are super useful). I’m thinking more along the lines of a “stock management” system for the stuff I am not actively using.
I came across this software as an example.
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I use one of those Sun thru Sat pill containers. I have one color for morning, the other for night. I keep all pill bottles I am currently taking in one box/basket and I use them to refill the dispensers once a week.
Anything I am not currently taking is in a separate box in a cabinet on the top shelf. Or, if it’s expired or I know I’m not taking it ever again, I dispose of it at the local Walgreens that has a “secure pill trash can” just for this purpose.
If you have a complex regimen most pharmacies can blister pack your medication - there may also be mechanical medicine dispensers available depending on your location.
I was trying to find some medicine today and realised I need a better system to organise what I have and know what I don’t have. Currently, everything is kind of thrown into a drawer.
I have a specific container (blue tupperware-like food bucket with a thin silver handle, that has holes in it for ventilation, and is normally used for holding vegetables and such in the kitchen) for my medicines.
Inside of the container is divided with a piece of cardboard into two zones, one zone for one set of medicines that I taken at one time of the day, and another set that I take at another time.
I find this a lot easier while at home than having to constantly refill pill boxes, and I only use pill boxes for when I’m traveling.
As far as ordering new stuff, I try to keep one extra of every medicine that I have, and when I finish one medicine and I’m opening the next bottle of that same medicine, that’s the time I call the pharmacy and order a replacement. On the fly inventory management basically. I store these extra meds in a bag that also goes into the blue container. The fact that they are in a bag separates them from my other medicines, it’s my inventory area.
Lower shelf: Over the counter stuff
Upper shelf: Prescriptive stuff
Left side of each shelf: Heart stuff and bodily remedies
Right side of each shelf: Brain stuff and mental remedies
Middle side of each shelf: Everything else
From front to back it’s also in alphabetical order.
Don’t know if you’re looking for desktop software specifically, but back in the day I used Medisafe on my phone, and that would definitely be my first port of call, if I had to start keeping track of that stuff again.
Depending on the amount of different pills you have, something I did for 2 family members might work. Between the 2 of them, there were 22~25 Actual prescriptions, and they both insisted upon a suppliment regimen of about 25 more pills.
I bought them a screw/nail/bolt organizer drawer set from Harbour Frieght, and used a System of a few colors to label the drawer front with what pill and dose was in it, and who takes it&what time of day. The biggest help ended up being the lack of constantly messing with lids, bulk purchasing was much easier and saved a fair amount of money, and being able to see what was low.
Although I lost one of them last month (my Mom) too early, she often praised it for how much time it saved, and my other family member is in her mid 80’s and still keeps the regimen, supplinents and all.
The bigger drawer stacks may be too much, but I’d suggest looking in that area of products for something sized right. Planning out more than the 3/5/7 days of meds at one time is often half spent opening bottles and the mess many can make. (ノ°益°)ノ
