Now that we have discussed factors that influence medication adherence, let's look at some medication adherence methods that will help you adhere to your HIV medication regimen. While we all agree that medication adherence can be a huge challenge, with the right approach and a few helpful tips, HIV medication adherence can be achieved. Let's look at some methods that will improve your HIV medication adherence.
Make Your Meds Part of Your Daily Life
Taking medications each day will undoubtedly change your daily routine. We all have a way of going about our day; a routine that we follow from the time we wake up until we go to bed. Being prescribed medications to take each day disrupts that routine. The key to good adherence is to make the medications a part of your daily routine. Fit your meds into your day instead of structuring your day around your meds. While it may take a little time, incorporating our meds into our daily routine makes it easier to take them everyday. Making your medications a part of your daily routine can be accomplished in many ways.
- Choose a task you do everyday and take your meds at the same time. For instance, take your meds every morning when you brush your teeth.
- If you can take your meds with food, take them with the same meal each day.
- If you watch the evening news each day, take your meds before sitting down to watch.
Set Up Your Doses in Advance
One of the most common reasons I hear for missing medication doses is that there little time to take the dose; or the person isn't at home and doesn't have his or her meds. To remedy that, set up a couple weeks' doses in advance using a pill box. Some pharmacies will even provide pre-poured weekly pill boxes or daily packs. By setting up each day's dose in advance, you can just go to the day in the pill box; take the contents of the day; and be on your way. Or if you are going to be away from home when it's time to take a dose, carry the day's dose with you in a small pill box. In addition, if you can't remember if you took your day's medications, take a look at the pill box. If that day's box is empty, you know you took the dose. A pill box breaks down your medications into a single days. Adhere each day and before you know it you have adhered for an entire month.
Plan Ahead for Refills
One of the most common mistakes my patients make regarding adherence is the timing of their refill requests. Every week I get at least one last minute request; a person calls in a panic; out of medications and no refills remaining on their prescription. Cutting things this close will always lead to problems with adherence. Waiting to the last minute for refills is a recipe for missed doses; either because you can't reach your provider in time to call in new prescriptions or the pharmacy has to order your medication because they do not have it in stock. Watch your quantities of medications. Call for refills several days before you are going to run out. If you have no more refills on your current prescriptions, call your doctor and get a new prescription at least a week before you will run out of meds. Don't forget to consider weekends and holidays. Typically, your doctors won't be in the office on those days so make sure you call during the week. If you think ahead there should be no problems getting your medications refilled before you run out.
Use a Reminder System
We all need little reminders now and again. Why not use a system of reminders to keep you on track with regard to your medication. Reminders can range from low tech sticky notes on your bathroom mirror to high tech computer aided reminders. Today's cell phones offer several features that can be used to remind you it's medication time. Set an alarm on your cell phone or watch to remind you when it's time for your next dose. Use the alarm functions on your desktop computer to do the same. However you choose to do it, as long as the reminders work for you your adherence will improve dramatically.
