Best Ways to Keep Track of Medications [+ Free Medication Tracker Chart Printable]

Have you ever made a mistake and have taken the wrong medication? Or you took a medication at the wrong time of day? I have and it can be dangerous. It is vital to know the best way to keep track of medications. You simply need to figure out what works for your individual needs and situation.

According to the CDC, improper medication tracking leads to:

•  82% of Americans take at least one medication
• 29% take 5 or more
• 350,000 hospital visits a year

When you have a chronic illness, you most likely take several medications, vitamins, or supplements each day. I take medications twice daily-once in the morning and once in the evening. You probably take medication more than once a day too. I find the simplest way is to use a chart to keep track of medications. So I can easily reference it if I think I have missed a dose.

Even on days that your head feels perfectly clear, it can be hard to keep track of if you have taken all of the correct medications for the day. Then, if you have a chronic or mental illness I am sure there have been times when you experienced “brain fog.” There can be lots of reasons and situations that cause you to confuse your medications. But luckily in this day and age, we have many options to help us figure out a plan on the best way to keep track of our medications and keep them straight.

*DISCLAIMER: I am not a health-care professional and you should not use the information in this article in place of professional medical advice or treatment.

This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links. This just means that at no extra cost to you I receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links in this post. This is one of the ways I support my blog & family. Read my full disclosure policy.

✅ Keep Track of Medications Chart (Free Printable)

Good ole pen and paper can always be trusted. You can create your own printable chart to use as a tracker for making sure you are taking all of your medications with just a notebook or you can find many free medication tracker & chart printables through Google or Pinterest. Bullet journals can also be used to create charts and systems to keep medications straight and organized. 

A pill tracker chart can be a little different if your main purpose is to track the details of each medication you take, not just if you have taken it or not. This kind of medication chart helps to keep track of details about the individual pills you take. Mainly, the dosages, how many times a day you take it, the doctor who prescribes it, the generic name, and a description of the size, color, and shape of the pill. I know this can get confusing because sometimes my pharmacy is out of the pill from the manufacturer I am used to getting my medicine from. And sometimes once a pill goes generic, there can be more than one manufacturer of the med and it looks very different.

This is just one more reason that pouring out all of your medications into your hand and chugging them without looking at exactly what pills are in your hand is not the greatest idea–I know it is the easiest. If you look at each handful of pills you are about to take and take stock of what you see (a visual snapshot), this can help you when you are trying to remember if you took a past does of your medications.

✅ Apps to Keep Track of Medications

Of course, there is an app for taking medication! Whether you want an app for medication list to easily share with your doctor or in an emergency, or a pill reminder app to keep you on schedule and ensure you take the right medication at the right times, the features and possibilities of the current medication apps are truly endless.

App for Medication List

Does a loved one or a close friend know exactly which medications you take? It is imperative that in the event that you are too sick to relay this information, that your caregiver or healthcare provider have access to a list of all of your current medications and dosage amounts. This will ensure you get the right treatment and that any new medicines administered won’t have a negative reaction or contraindication. (Yeah that’s a big fancy word I had to look up too. It basically means the way medicines you take interact with each other.)

MedList Pro (Android)

A great app for creating medication list is MedList Pro. Not only does it give your reminders to take your medicine, but this app makes it easy to create and share your current medication list with your doctor or other health care provider. You can store multiple med lists for different people in your family and it allows you to take a photo for each person and pictures of your pills.

ListMeds – Free (Android)

Instead of having to write down your medication list over and over at various doctors’ appointments, you can create one medication list in the app and email it to your doctor’s office.

Medication list and Reminders (iPhone)

This app for medication lists lets you quickly create current medicine lists with name and other details like photos. Medication reminders and a searchable database of medicines by the name or illness.

Pill Reminder App

To make sure you take your pills on time, have a pill reminder app is so easy. Just download it to your phone and no matter where you are, you will be reminded to take your medication.

Medisafe

This app is great for “visual” people and free! It copies the physical characteristics (size and shape) of each pill to create a “virtual pillbox.” Alerts are sent when it is time to take the medications and reminds users of the correct dosage. Sounds totally cool. I tend to look at the pills in my hand to visually note if they are correct before I swallow my mediations. 

Adheretech

Adheretech is actually a pill bottle connected to an app. This app uses the data the user enters to send real-time alerts on missed or incorrectly taken dosages. The dashboard in the app records all the important information to keep track of how well the person is doing in keeping their medications straight. 

Meds Agenda

This is great for people who have a large number of medications with complex instructions. After entering all medications the app will send reminders to the users about how much of each medication to take and how to take it. A perk of this app is it sends the reminders even in areas with no wifi available.

Sign Up to Get Instant Access to Your Medication Tracker Chart!

✅ KEEP TRACK OF MEDICATIONS WHEN TRAVELING

How to Pack Medicine for Travel

If you are planning to travel, you definitely need a plan and system in place for keeping track of your medications. When you pack medicine for travel, there are a few important things to consider.

• How will you organize and carry your medications?
• Are you traveling domestically or internationally?
• Managing medication across time zones can be tricky and you need a plan in order to transition your medication-taking times to the new time zone. How long you will be traveling is also a consideration.(There is this really cool app that can help with that–Medisafe App Time Zones. There is also a medicine time zone calculator!)
• How long will you be traveling? Do you need to have prescriptions filled in advance to cover the length of your stay?
• Are you traveling by plane or by car, bus, or train? When you travel by flying, there are rules on how and where to pack your medications. The difference between domestic and international travel can affect how you need to pack and if you need to bring the medication bottles with the original prescription.

CHECK OUT ALL THE OPTIONS ON AMAZON>>> Travel Medicine Organizers

Best Travel Pill Organizer

• TSA Approved Locking Toiletry and Medication Travel Bag
• Moisture-Proof Pill Organizer (jumbo air-tight compartments)
• Lewis N. Clark AM/PM Folding Pill Organizer With 16 Slide-Locking Pouches

Best Travel Pill Box

Looking for a lockable medicine storage box that fits your travel needs is one of the most important aspects you should consider when choosing a travel pill box. You certainly don’t want your medicine to be tampered with and since sometimes airlines need to inspect your medications it is always better to keep your medications in your carryon luggage. Then you can provide the key to the staff if needed.

• Estefanlo Weekly Pill Organizer, 7 Day Pill Box (2 Times a Day), Portable Travel Pill Case
• Magnetic Foldable Pill Box Case (2 Pack), Opret 7 Compartments Portable Pill Organizer for Travel 
• Travel Pill Case | AM PM Daily Medications & Supplement Organizer with Labeled Pouches |
• Lockable Medicine Storage Box (Combination Keyed Lock Travel Case)

Travel Pill Packs

• Portable Squeeze Open Pill Pouch
• Travel Pill Pouch
• Travel Pill Bags with Write-on Labels

Best Travel Bag for Medications

Don’t get extra stressed out when you take a trip. A great way to keep track of your medicine when you are traveling is a specially designed travel bag for medications. (✅ Compare and check prices here.)

You will be able to rest relax and enjoy your trip if you know all of your necessary medications are in one place that you can access easily.

✅ WHERE TO STORE MEDICINES AT HOME

The first step to keeping track of your medications is to figure out where to store your medicines at home. Keep in mind that heat, light, air, and moisture can damage your medications or render them ineffective. Make sure your medicines are stored up and out of reach from children. Think about a safe place that is still easily accessible to you (like in a lockable medicine storage box.) You may assign a cabinet, drawer, shelf, or bag to hold all of your medicine bottles. Pill bottle organizer bags or a medicine bottle organizer shelf are great choices and can be found on Amazon, at a Walmart, Target, or Container Store.

✅ HOW TO ORGANIZE MEDICINE BOTTLES

After you make sure all of your pill bottles are stored safely away from kids, there are a few ways to organize medicine bottles (like this Revolving Medicine Center.) If you don’t have enough room to store all of your medicine bottles together, you can simply store them in different areas. For instance, my daily pills that I take are kept in a basket on a top shelf in my kitchen so that I can easily refill my pill box each week. Then other medications, such as pain meds and medications I only take under special circumstances are stored in a Tupperware box with a lid behind a locked bathroom cabinet.

Pill Bottle Organizer

A pill bottle organizer can be as simple as a plastic shoe box. Or you can choose to install a medicine bottle organizer shelf in one of your cabinets. A pill bottle organizer bag may be sufficient if you don’t have a lot of medications. The reality is that a traditional “medicine cabinet” often doesn’t have the space someone with a chronic or mental illness needs. Don’t be ashamed. No matter how many medications you need to live well, remember that you are being proactive to make sure you are receiving the right treatment.

CHECK OUT ALL THE OPTIONS ON AMAZON>>> Pill Bottle Organizer Storage

Medicine Bottle Organizer Shelf (or Shelf Insert)

• Plastic Wall Mount 3-Tier Storage Shelf
• Best Pill Bottle Organizer Shelf (Magnetic Peel & Stick Shelf Holder)
• Plastic Storage Organizer Shelf

Pill Bottle Organizer Bag

• Portable, Lockable Prescription Medication Bag (Holds 20 Pill Bottles)
• Tidy Meds Pill Organizer (12 Bottles with Customized Labels)
• Raz Bag Pill Bottle Organizer Bag

✅ MEDICINE ORGANIZER BOX (PILL ORGANIZERS)

Pill box organizers come in all shapes, sizes, and features. Just think about how many times a day you take your medications. Then consider if certain medications need to be taken at different times from each other so they don’t create negative side effects or affect the efficacy of one another. That will help you decide which medicine organizer box fits your needs the best.

Pill Ziplocs or Packets

The first time I saw these in use was for my grandmother. These tiny little ziplock bags have a space to write the medication, does, date, and time. They even make personal pill packaging machines.

• EZ Dose Pill Pouches
• The Pill Bag Resealable Ziploc Pouches
• Pill Mill Plastic Pill Organizer Bags (with easy to mark Morning, Noon, and Night Checkboxes)

CHECK OUT ALL THE OPTIONS ON AMAZON>>> Pill Pouch Bags for Medicine

Extra Large Medication Organizers

Some of us may have more medicines to organize than others and need a super-sized extra large medication organizer. Or maybe you would prefer to sort and organize your medication doses more than a week at a time. I can definitely see the benefit of having a month’s worth of pills sorted. Then you could easily keep track of when medications need to be refilled.

• Extra Large Pill Organizer (Morning, Noon, Afternoon, and Night 4x per day)
• Monthly Pill Organizer and Pill Dispenser
• Waterproof Pill Organizer (8 Large Compartments for Medications and Supplements)
• Weekly 3 Times Per Day Medication Organizer Box

Designer Pill Organizer

There are some super stylish pill organizers and pill boxes that feel less obvious than traditional large and labeled medication organizers that we associate with pill organizers. And be sure to always have a super cute “non-obvious” decorative pill box for your purse.

• Elegant Houder Designer Pill Box with Peacock Feather Enameling
• Leopard Print Travel Pill Case
• Cielo Pill Case Stainless Steel Pill Keychain FOB
• Vera Bradley Pill Case with Multiple Colorful Designs

CHECK OUT ALL THE OPTIONS ON AMAZON>>> Designer Pill Organizers

✅ AUTOMATED DISPENSING SYSTEM FOR MEDICATION

Often times when you live with a chronic or mental illness, you feel overwhelmed simply by taking care of yourself and on a daily basis. So automated medication dispensing systems can take one task (a pretty big one) off of your plate. As well as simplifying one aspect of your life, it gives peace of mind that medication errors won’t happen.

Automated Dispensing Services

I first heard about this option in a commercial on TV. (I am not sure how I watched a commercial recently unless it was on one of my kids cartoon channels.) Geared more toward the elderly and their caregivers, Philips Lifeline Service has a monthly fee but provides an actual physical dispenser that is pre-filled with medications. It can accommodate up to 60 cups of medicine and six times per day. Nascentia Health provides in-home medication dispensing services with a healthcare professional.

Automated Medication Dispensing Machines for Home Use

Personal Pill Packaging Machine

• LiveFine Automatic Pill Dispenser 28-Day Electronic Medication Organizer with Alerts, Flashing Light and Safety Latch (can dispense medications up to 6 times per day)
• e-Pill | MedSmart Plus, Monitored Automatic Pill Dispenser, Remote Missed Medication & Refill Alerts, Locked Cover, Patient Compliance Dashboard, 1-6 Alarms Per Day, 7-Day Battery Backup
• GMS Automatic Pill Dispenser 28 Day Automatic Pill Dispenser with Clear and Solid Lids 

CHECK OUT ALL THE OPTIONS ON AMAZON>>> Electronic Medication Dispenser

Wifi Pill Dispenser

• MedFolio Wireless Pillbox
• GMS WiFi Automatic Pill Dispenser 
• PILLWISE Smart Pill Management Vitamin Storage with Automatic Pill Dispenser Smart Phone APP and Alerts

Read More About How to Stay Organized for Your Health. . .

• The One Thing You Should Bring to Every Doctor’s Appointment (FREE Printable)
• 5 Brain-Friendly Tips: How to Get Organized (When You Don’t Know Where to Start)
• Printable Medical Information Organizer Binder

✅ Medicine Tracker Devices

Medication tracking devices can make your life simpler because you don’t have to rely solely on your memory. Even on days that it’s hard to focus or concentrate, these medical devices will help you remember when to take your meds as well as be able to look back at your history to see if you missed any doses.

Electronic Medication Reminder Devices

When choosing a medication reminder device consider the following things: 1) Flexibility (will this device fit in with your lifestyle), 2) Price (how much can you afford), and 3) Ease of Use (don’t get something that you feel is “too technical” for you to use easily and correctly.)

Pill Alert Systems

• e-pill | Pocket Pillbox | 4 Dose Per Day Pill Dispenser with Vibrating and Audible Reminder Alarm 
• Recording Atomic English Talking Top Button Clock – Record Own Message 
• Sagely Smart Weekly Pill Organizer with Reminder App
• Medication Reminder Watch

CHECK OUT ALL THE OPTIONS ON AMAZON>>> Medication Reminder Devices

DOWNLOAD TRACKER CHART!

Recently, I accidentally took my nighttime medications on a Saturday morning. I couldn’t believe I had made such a silly mistake, but it happened. Luckily, with it being on a weekend, I could sleep off my mistake and it didn’t cause any more serious consequences.

 It’s easy to get in the habit of dumping out the pills into our hand and chugging them down without even looking at what we are taking. So taking extra measures, like the ones mentioned above, to keep medications straight is really important.

Often times the best way to keep track of medications when you have a chronic illness is a multi-prong approach. Having a current medication list (whether on a printable or an app) that is easily accessible for yourself and your doctor is definitely important. But also having an effective and easy medicine organization system helps to keep things straight.

Whatever you decide, make it fit the needs of your life and be something you can be consistent with–that way you never have to be like me and lose an entire day to having to “sleep off” a medication mistake!

P.S. WOULD YOU DO ME A FAVOR AND PIN THIS POST ABOUT HOW TO KEEP MEDICATIONS STRAIGHT? I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!