Pill boxes

Taking medicines

It is essential to get medication doses and times right because getting them wrong can affect health and wellbeing. Problems include:

• managing childproof containers;
• reading the labelling;
• remembering what medication to take;
• remembering when it should be taken;
• remembering whether it has been taken;
• taking a repeat dose/s.

Keeping medication where it can be seen easily can in itself act as a prompt to taking it.

Pill or dosette boxes

Tablets can be transferred into a pill or dosette box, a compartmentalised box marked with dosage times. Boxes have a flip lid or a sliding lid that should be easier to open than a pill bottle. The empty compartment provides a reminder that the dose has been taken.

The boxes come in a range of complexity. Some just provide for a single day’s medication, others take a full week’s supply of tablets with days of the week clearly labelled. Some allow for multiple doses each day throughout a week.

The user or a family member will need to be able to transfer the medicines into the dosette box when needed, ensuring that the right medicines are inserted for the right times. If a person finds it difficult to load the pill box, some pharmacists can dispense prescribed medicines into dosette boxes or blister packs (or dosage cups for liquid medication). They may charge for this service. Some require your GP to request this service. Blister packs can be difficult to open for those who find fine movement or grip difficult.

Some medication needs to be kept airtight. Check with your pharmacist whether your medication could be stored in pill boxes or other dispensers.

Dispensing pill boxes

A medication dispenser will offer the correct dose at the correct time reducing the chance of missing a dose or taking it twice.

Who will refill the dispenser? What will you do if you go out for the day and can’t take the dispenser with you?

Dispensing pill boxes use a mechanism that will physically move the pill compartments so that you are offered the correct pills at the correct time. These units use rotating carousels that require loading with a week or a month’s worth of pills. Different models are available, with larger models allowing a greater number of pills or larger tablets to be dispensed. You will need to consider who is going to load these carousels before purchase. If the dispenser is to be filled by a chemist then you may need to purchase extra carousels so you can have one in use and one at the chemists.

Medelert Automatic Pill Dispenser £56.00

Monthly Pill organiser-£10.02 Complete care shop

Weekly Pill organiser- Amazon

7 day weekly Travel pill organiser- Amazon