Medicine tracker

Easier pill to swallow

A way to keep multiple medicines organised is at your service

WORDS LIZ McGRATH

Do you, or someone you love, have difficulty remembering when to take medicines?

While a spoonful of sugar, as the old saying suggests, may help the medicine go down, keeping your doses organised can be tricky and time-consuming.

Particularly if you are one of the almost million Australians taking five or more prescribed medicines in a week.

It’s something that Sydneybased pharmacist Winny Lim, from Chemist Warehouse in Epping and Eastwood, knows only too well.

“It can get quite confusing for people, particularly if they are elderly or perhaps juggling young children or a lot of different medications,” Winny says.

“People go out to eat and forget to take the right pills, or brand names change and they become unsure, or they can’t remember if they’ve had their medicine that day or not.”

However, there is a service offered in pharmacies that can take the hassle out of the timing and management of medicines.

It’s called the dose administration aid (DAA) service and can be a game-changer in ensuring you take the right medicine at the correct dose and time, in a safe and hygienic way.

“It looks like a calendar with the week laid out in days and times, with individually sealed compartments that are safely pre-packed with your specific medications,” Winny explains.

“It’s convenient, compact, highly portable and is stress free, because your pharmacist is doing all the work with you. We have the service at Chemist Warehouse and My Chemist.

“We liaise regularly with the prescriber and it’s really about providing a holistic service as we become an integral member of the patient’s overall health care team.”

As part of the service pharmacists counsel, communicate and regularly monitor patient progress.

“It can get quite confusing for people, particularly if they are elderly or perhaps juggling young children or a lot of different medications.”

— Winny Lim

Those most likely to benefit

While the DAA service is available to everyone, among those who might benefit most include patients who have trouble sticking to a schedule or who forget to take their prescriptions and need a visual cue.

Also, people with a carer who monitors their medicine, those who have difficulty opening bottles or packets, patients who are cognitively impaired or those taking five or more medications a day.

“Customers are really grateful when they find out about it,” Winny says.

“I’ve had daughters or sons with family members who have dementia come in and they’ve been trying to juggle everything. Just to know their mum or dad is getting the right medication is such a weight off their minds.”

While federal government funding covers some people for using the service, the cost for others can vary. Winny suggests checking with your pharmacy to see if the service is right for you.

“It feels wonderful to be able to help people like this and allows us the opportunity to follow up and see if people are having difficulties or whether they need our help with anything,” she says. “Really, it’s what being a community pharmacist is all about.”

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