Tips for Managing Medication at Home

Managing medication at home can sometimes feel overwhelming if you, or someone you care for, takes several different daily medications, potentially also at different times of the day. Getting it wrong, missing doses or mixing things up can sometimes have serious consequences. 

We explore why effective medication management at home matters, the common barriers many people face in getting it right and offer some practical ways to make medication-taking easier for the person taking it and anyone who cares for or supports them.

Why is effective medication management important?

When medicines are prescribed, they are carefully chosen by medical professionals and scheduled so they deliver the greatest benefit with the lowest risk. But if that schedule isn’t followed, for example if doses are missed, doubled or taken at the wrong time, the benefits may be lost, or worse: there can be unintended harm. If a medication is taken incorrectly, there are risks that it could interact negatively with something else that the individual is taking or can simply be not as effective, meaning that the health condition it is being taken to manage can become less well controlled. 

NHS research shows that up to 50% of patients don’t take their medication as it was prescribed. This can sometimes lead to worse health outcomes and can result in avoidable hospital visits or admissions. 

Common barriers to managing medications well at home

Why do so many people struggle with medication management, even though they fully intend to take their medication correctly? There can be many different reasons and sometimes they also overlap. These can include:

Complicated medication schedules

People managing chronic health conditions often take multiple medications every day. Some may be taken in several doses too; for example, first thing in the morning, in the middle or the day or before bed. Some may need to be taken with food and some might need to be taken a certain amount of time before or after meals to be most effective. With several medications to take and at various points in the day, it can get very confusing, especially if some medicines look similar.

Forgetfulness

Most people don’t intentionally take their medication incorrectly, but it can sometimes be easy to forget that you’ve already taken a dose and so take another one, or to forget to take a medication at the right time completely. 

Lifestyle and practical issues

Day-to-day life can make medication management more difficult. It might be busy schedules, irregular routines, or the complication of trying to stick to a medication schedule while travelling. For some people, additional challenges such as memory problems, issues with reading small print on medication bottles or packets or difficulties with handling small pills can also sometimes get in the way of taking medicines exactly as prescribed. 

Lack of confidence or understanding what each medication does.

Sometimes people may not fully understand how they should be taking their medicines: what time, with or without food, what to do if they miss a dose, possible side-effects, or why each medicine is important for them and whatever health conditions they are dealing with. It’s possible that they might also have concerns about side-effects or be unsure if a certain medicine is necessary for them, so don’t really want to take it at all. These beliefs and concerns can all influence medication adherence.

Practical tips for managing medication safely and efficiently

We’ve compiled some practical steps you can take to make managing medications easier and safer, even if you, or someone you care for, are on multiple prescriptions.

Use reminders and digital tools

• Set alarms or reminders on your phone for when doses are due, especially useful if you take medicines several times a day or at irregular intervals.

• Use voice-assistant reminders (e.g. smart speaker, phone assistant) for added convenience.

• Some people find it helps to tie medication into a daily habit (for example, always take pills with breakfast or just before bed).

Find out more about top tools and tech for medication support at home.

Consider a medication pouching service

One of the simplest ways to reduce errors and make the whole process easier is to use a pouching service. 

The way it works with PillTime is that you order your medication online, then we contact your GP to confirm your prescriptions and become your designated pharmacy. Then, our team prepares your medication into pre-sorted pouches: each pouch is clearly labelled with exactly which tablets you should take, and when (day, date, morning/afternoon/evening, etc.). The pouches are sent directly to your home, so there is no need to go to a pharmacy to pick things up or manage lots of different packets or bottles.

This kind of service removes the need to handle sorting at home, which reduces the risk of mistakes, double doses, missed meds or confusion. It also saves time for people managing multiple medications, or for carers organising medicines for someone else. For people with complex medicine schedules, limited mobility or vision or simply living busy lives, a pouching service can make a huge difference to safety, convenience and adherence.

You can compare pouching with blister packs and medication boxes here. 

Make a plan for holidays, travel or routine changes

• If you travel, plan ahead: make sure you have enough supplies for each medication you take, know how to store the medicines properly where you are staying and keep them in their labelled packaging or a secure organiser such as a medication box.

• Using a pouching service can make taking your medications while away from home so much easier. You simply take the correct pouches needed for your time away and don’t have to worry about transporting bulky bottles of pills or big blister packs with you. 

• Have a backup reminder system for the times you need to take medications. Sometimes phone reminders on their own might not be enough, especially if you wake up earlier or later than usual while away.

Ask for help when you need it

If you struggle with organising your tablets sometimes, perhaps due to poor eyesight, memory issues, or having many different medicines, don’t be afraid to ask a trusted friend, family member or caregiver for help.

If medicines or regimens are complicated, consider raising this with your GP or pharmacist: sometimes doses or timings can be simplified. You are entitled to regular medication reviews and “medicines optimisation” to ensure any prescribed medicines provide maximum benefit with minimal risk. 

Always keep up to date with changes to medication. Sometimes dose adjustments happen, or medicines are added, stopped or replaced.  Make sure you create a list of what you’re taking and keep it current. If you use a pouching service, each pouch is clearly labelled with all of the medications that are inside and the prescribed dose, which can make this easier. 

How PillTime can help with medication management at home

Managing medications effectively isn’t just about remembering to take tablets at the correct time. It’s about safety, peace of mind and making sure that you get the full benefit of your prescribed treatment. 

For many people, especially those on multiple medicines (or caring for someone who is), a trusted pre-sorted pouching service can make a real difference: it removes confusion, lowers the chance of mistakes, saves time, and makes everyday life easier.

With our pouching service, your medicines arrive already sorted and clearly labelled, meaning less stress, fewer errors and greater confidence that you’re taking your tablets at the right time and dose.

If you or someone you care for could benefit from a more straightforward way to manage medications at home, why not find out more about how PillTime works?