By Lauren Restaino, Staff Pharmacist, Norwalk Hospital
01/11/2022
While winter can be a magical time, it is important to be proactive about your medications. You don’t want to run out on miserably cold days or during storms when roads are treacherous.
To stay on top of medication refills:
- Use medication calendars and charts to keep tabs.
- Sign up for telephone, text or email reminders offered by pharmacies.
- Set up an alarm to remind you to refill medications. Then, call before running out of your medication to allow enough time for the pharmacy to contact your provider and process your prescriptions.
- You can also use the MyNuvanceHealth Patient Portal to request a medication refill if ordered by your Nuvance Health doctor.
- Use pill containers and refill them at the same time each week.
- Request a 90-day supply of maintenance medications for diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and congestive heart failure.
- Take enough of your medication when traveling, plus a few days’ extra in case your return is delayed.
When you are diligent about your medications, here are some added benefits:
- Reduced trips to the pharmacy.
- Adherence to your medication regimen.
- Fewer worries about missed refills and running out.
- Building a relationship with your pharmacist to help take care of medications properly.
- Reduced worsening of disease progression when not refilling medication in a timely manner.
- Reduced waste of medication when skipping doses.
- Improved quality of life.
- Decreased use of medical resources and healthcare costs preventing hospitalizations and severe relapses.