Keep track of all your medicines with our new tool

Consumer Reports News: September 09, 2009 05:47 PM

If you're taking several medications, you know that keeping track of when and how to take them can be a juggling act. The more drugs you take, the more at risk you are for taking the wrong drug or one that you don't need, or experiencing dangerous side effects from drug interactions.

Whether you're concerned about your own safety, or you're a caregiver for someone with a chronic illness, our new tool, My Medication Tracker, can help keep medications organized and prevent drug errors. With this new tool you can maintain a complete, up-to-date list of all the drugs you take—prescription and over the counter—including dosages, expiration dates, how much you paid for each medicine, directions on how to take your medicines, and the number of refills you have left. You can also record and store information about your allergies, vaccinations, the medical conditions you have, and your insurance coverage information.

My Medication Tracker is easy to use and lets you store a password-protected, electronic record of your medications on your home computer. Simply download the software onto your computer, set up a user name and password, and begin entering your medications by clicking on the "Add New" button.

Bottom line: My Medication Tracker can help you take control of your medication and health history, and will also improve your communication with your doctor. At your next doctor's appointment, bring a printout of your medications and ask your doctor, "Do I really need to take all these medications?" It's likely your doctor is unaware of all the medications you're taking—especially if you're seeing several doctors and specialists. Your doctor may even recommend you stop taking unnecessary or duplicate medications or dosages—which can not only help cut costs, but can also keep you healthy and prevent potential drug interactions. Also be sure to ask, "Does this drug interact with any other medicines or supplements I take?" Many drug combinations decrease the effectiveness of one or both medicines, while others increase the risk of adverse side effects.

—Ginger Skinner

My Medication Tracker was created by the Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs project with funding from The National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health. For more information on how to use My Medication Tracker* and for more on managing multiple medications, download our free Best Buy Drugs Money Saving guide*.

*links to PDF