Use Visual Cues to Manage Your Medications

Quick Win

Visual reminders help you stick to your medication schedule — and they can stimulate your brain too.

Try This Today

• Keep your medications in sight. Place your pills in an easy-to-see spot, such as on your night table or next to the coffee maker. Another visual cue: After you’ve taken the pill, turn over the vial. Then turn it upright at the end of the day as a reminder to start fresh tomorrow.
• Get an organizer. A plastic pillbox marked with the days of the week lets you know at a glance if you’ve taken your meds. Love chocolate? Add a chocolate chip to each compartment of the pill organizer as an incentive.
• Color-code vials. If you take meds at various times of the day, buy labels in three colors (e.g., red for morning, yellow for afternoon and blue for bedtime) and stick them on your medicine bottles.
• Use smartphone apps. Another kind of cue is a reminder set on your smartphone or watch. 

Why

It can be difficult to remember to take even one prescription medication daily. But about a third of adults ages 50 to 64 and half of adults 65-plus take four or more prescription drugs, according to a 2019 poll by KFF, an independent source for health policy research. Adding to the confusion is that those drugs may have to be taken on different days or at various times of the day. By managing the patterns of your daily med intake, you’re taking control of your health — and visual cues can help.