Help With Meds Times

@gratchford most pharmacies in Canada will make up blister packs of all your medications indicating morning, afternoon, evening, etc.m if you request this service. That makes it easier to keep track of your dosage and times. Here’s one example:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mUsvdeSVoKY
All pharmacists also go over medications with the patient, advising when to take them, how to take them, and also what to avoid when you are on them. You could check with your pharmacy where you live.

@gratchford Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! This is an important question to ask, definitely, about when to take certain medications.

Here is a link to the National Institure on Aging, and what they have to say about it: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/medicines-and-medication-management/taking-medicines-safely-you-age#:~:text=Some%20medications%20need%20to%20be,two%20hours%20after%20you%20eat.

Do you use the same pharmacy for all your prescription medications? Ask to speak to the pharmacist, and take in your list of both over-the-counter and prescription meds. Explain you need some guidance to make sure you are getting the best benefits of all these, and not suffer unneeded side effects. Perhaps putting it this way will trigger that person to want to help you. A source I have also used is https://www.drugs.com/

Years ago I lived in an area where the pharmacist at a chain drugstore was actually a doctor from South Africa. He was so helpful in counseling us customers! He even caught a few "no-no"s for me! I miss having him to bounce ideas off of.
Ginger

Yes, we use the same pharmacy about a mile from us, but it is a Walmart Neighborhood Market and personnell change like I change socks.
We have another we have called for an appointment and she says she will sit with us for as long as we need. Our PCP is okay, but since the Covid booster almost killed my wife, she has been to 23 specialist including Duke University and cannot get the symptoms to go away...mainly a neuro paint all across her back that feels like "an open sore" as she describes it.
Thanks for your help. Next step is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. See what they can find.
Gene

@gratchford yes, personnel change everywhere, but the pharmacy owner does not. If I am not mistaken, every pharmacy (including one in a big box store) is owned by a pharmacist, and you would be consulting the pharmacy owner about setting up the blister packs.

Also, personnel may change in pharmacies, but patient records in pharmacies don’t so arrangement for blister packs can be done by any pharmacy regardless of personnel turnover.

In the US most pharmacies are owned by big corporations, and the pharmacists are overworked employees, often moved from store to store to cover. Some stores here in MN have even had to close their pharmacies for hours or days due to a shortage of pharmacists. We are fortunate to have a good pharmacy in the local supermarket, with adeqyuate staffing and helpful employees.

Stomach acid problems are usually worse in the night because you aren’t eating, which neutralizes the acid. So the Pepcid, pantoprazole and last the carafate which coats the stomach is best at bedtime. You can also split the dose and take half in am, half in pm, if your stomach bothers you day and night. It can be prescribed that way, like 20mg pantoprzole twice daily instead of 40 mg once daily. The other two meds can be taken in the morning. Also, more bland, creamy, non acidic foods are kinder to GI tract. Citrus, tomato, vinegary, spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine will make things worse. Hope this helps! Keep a bottle of chewable antacid tablets handy as well as a liquid antacid at bedside. They are high in calcium so don’t exceed recommended doses. They do give immediate relief though when you need it. The hydrocodone for pain and tranxene for anxiety can be taken any time when needed according to rx directions. Sorry you have been through so much just trying to avoid Covid! It’s a monster, and has ruined my health too following infection. Hope things get better for you soon!

@sueinmn Perhaps pharmacists here in Canada are “pharmacy franchisees”, for want of a description … ?