Diabetes Education Articles

Managing Your Diabetes Medication Regime

Contributed by Fit4D Pharmacist
Brett Douglas, PharmD

Managing your diabetes may seem like a full time job when it comes to balancing your eating, getting exercise, and monitoring your blood glucose levels. When oral medication is added to the equation, unique challenges can arise. According to the Institute of Medicine, 1.5 million preventable medication errors occur each year in the United States. One of the key steps in empowering your lifestyle with diabetes is your awareness about related medications. Here are some tips to help you effectively manage your medication regimen:

Overcoming Challenges Related to Medications

Know your medications. Keep an updated list of all prescription medications you are currently taking with you at all times. Also include any over the counter (OTC) medications you may take such as cough and cold products, pain relievers, and antacids. Don't forget to include any vitamins, supplements, and herbal products as well.

Use one pharmacy. This can be a difficult task in the age of managed healthcare. Many insurance plans require their members to use a mail order pharmacy in order to pay lower co-pays, and some plans even require mail order if you want to utilize your pharmacy benefits at all. An exception to this rule is typically an acute medication, such as an antibiotic used to treat an infection.

When you fill a prescription for an acute medication at your local pharmacy, be sure to provide the pharmacist with your list of current medications (see above). This can avoid any potential drug interactions between the maintenance medications you get in the mail and the acute medications you get at your local pharmacy.

Get organized. If you require multiple medications to manage your diabetes, it can be difficult to remember when to take what. It's all too easy to skip doses or accidentally take an extra dose because you mistakenly thought you forgot. Pillboxes that are labeled with the day of the week are an invaluable tool to avoid missing a dose or taking extra doses. Fill them up at the beginning of the week, or buy several so you have a month's worth of pillboxes to help keep your dosing schedule on track.

Clean house. Your healthcare provider may have to adjust the dose of your medication many times over the course of your treatment. When that happens, it's important to separate old medication from your current medication. Leftover antibiotics should always be discarded. Medications should not be flushed down the toilet or washed down the drain. Doing so is harmful to the environment. To learn how to properly dispose of medications, check out www.dontflushyourdrugs.net.

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