Some of you beady people here may not know this, but I have a slew of life threatening conditions, and I get to keep my pharmacist in Manolo Blahnik pumps.
My hint of the day is for anyone seeing multiple docs and taking multiple medications: make a list of _every_ med you are taking and bring it to every doctor's appointment. Everything - even nutritional supplements: my pain doc was delighted to see I take flax seed oil and MSM, and my eye doc now recommends flax seed oil to every one of his patients.
I take this list when I see any kind of doctor - even for an eye check -- Last time, it turned out to be of immense help to my eye doctor, who realized a medication was causing some of my vision problems. My own list is a little more sophisticated than a list of meds on the back of an envelope (which is still better tha nothing). My personal list is a spreadsheet, updated continuously, and brought to every medical appointment. I always keep a copy in my wallet, too.
The spreadsheet lists every med, the dose, who prescribed it, and for what. The last cell in each row is for comments. If I need refills, have a weird side effect or have a question, it goes there.
The header and footer of the spreadsheet list my name (duh), drug allergies, and hospital ID number (this hospital issues IDs, above and beyond your insurance card). Because that info never changes, having it the header or footer means I don't have to remember it. I also have it print the date, and to save all of the previous versions of the spreadsheet.
When I see a doc, I print two copies: one for the doc, and one for me. All of my concerns and so forth are on the spreadsheet, and the docs appreciate having everything they need right in front of them. In fact, my PCP, who I see monthly, now holds her hand out and makes harrumphing noises if I don't have the spreadsheet available immediately. I let her (and all my docs) keep the copy for the file.
This might not mean a lot to most people of working age, since most people of working age are healthy, and take little more than an occasional aspirin. However, if you are caring for an elderly relative, it would be a Good Thing if you made a list for them. It takes me less than five minutes to update and print on my ultra-slow printer before an appointment.
Also, if you are caring for an older relative, remember that many medications prescribed are generics, and your family member might not know what the generic medicine means in real life. So I take my handy-dandy medical reference book, just to make sure that "Nana" got the right meds. I also list side effects. Then I take a Red Sharpie and write the common name of the med in BIG LETTERS on the label. That way, she doesn't have to depend on failing eyesight to remember that Furosemide is Lasix. I print the spreadsheet in large letters and attach it to the fridge. That way, no one has to depend upon their memory or those teeny letters on the prescription bottle.
Hope this helps in some small way,
Kathy N-V, who is feeling lousy and wishes she could spend her prescription money on beads, or European vacations.