We each take care of our own. I have only two, but DH has more. Glad your DH is doing his now!

I ask him to let me know when his bottles are running low so I can reorder them before he runs out. I won't dole out pills for him as the risk of a double on any given day is too high doing it that way. He'll put the empty bottle on my bathroom sink when it's empty causing him to go without for a week at a time. He's a hard one to train, so I'm impressed yours is doing as well as he is taking care of his own meds now. Should I pass before him, I can only imagine he'll be a lost little soul as this seems to be the best I can get from him. I have recently got him to learn how to turn the washing machine to 'pause' so laundry can soak if I'm otherwise not in the area. I know it sounds condescending and I don't mean it that way. He really is that hard to train. Maybe mine can call yours for tips.

It’s also a good idea to have a list of your medications in case you have an emergency. We had my parents use their cell phones notes app and my sister & I had copies on our phones. These did get referred to for a few ER and other hospital visits. We were very happy at those times that we had the info right at hand. (At the moment I am lucky to have only one Rx.)

We each do our own. One of these days, I should learn more about his, and vice versa, just in case.

We do our own, but DH takes a slew of meds. We both carry a printed out version ( every time there is a change, he prints new ones). I think it's from WebMD. Anyway it is really good as it lists each drug and dose and frequency taken. It's ideal because each time for a doctor appointment when they ask- there is no forgetting and it's all spelled out.

He tells me, and while more often its 'I'm out of this or that' when I've shopped and have been to a store the day before, with his prescriptions he fills a weekly container and will usually give me a week. Or, say 'I don't have enough to fill this next week'.

I call them in every 90 days to an automated service at a locally owned drugstore that we've gone to all our lives. They will personally deliver for no fee, but I've never used that service, only appreciate that I know its there.

In a day or two from calling, he will stop in and pick them up, his and mine. While he's not refilling them unaided, I think he could figure it out.

There's no need or reason to run out of prescriptions taken regularly. Most pharmacies offer an auto-refill feature and if your regular one doesn't, you shouldn't have difficulty finding one that does. The pharmacy will even follow up with the prescribing doc(s) to authorize refills when needed to complete the order by its due date.

As far as prescription lists, the electronic charts of most medical groups AND prescriptions from pharmacies are immediately available over the internet if you've granted permission for that. A few years ago while on an out of town trip to a different urban area than where I live, I needed to go to an Urgent Care facility at the hospital of a largish medical practice. One I'd never been to. I checked in, initialed and signed a bunch of forms I paid no attention to, waited about 15 minutes, and was then escorted to an exam room. The doc came in, introduced himself, asked me to restate why I'd come in, and then said - "Before we start, I'd like to go through your list of prescriptions and check which ones you're still taking". I was surprised and yes, he did have my current list. One of the forms I'd initialed was to get my medical records and that was all done in a matter of minutes. This was on a Saturday.

We each handled our own. I preferred to use the 90 mail order service while he preferred to pick his up. Each of you should have easy access to a list of both of your medications with the information written directly from the bottle and if there are any changes a notation of what is on the bottle and what is told to you. While I hope no one ever needs to use the other's list if you would have to fill out medical information if your partner is not able or answer a doctor's questions you will have it available.

I made a chart for my mother and her caregivers that was a time schedule. First column was time, then name of med or vitamin, with its alternative name (either generic or brand), then description of the pill (color, shape), then what it was for, then who prescribed it. As Mom started to develop dementia, it was helpful to reassure her about her meds, and her carers and Dad and I all could verify what she was taking. She had those pill sorters, but this was an added piece of information.

We use a drugstore with a 24 hour drive up. Prescriptions are set up by our doctors. They are all auto refilled. I only take thyroid medication. It's set up so my script gets replaced before I am down to 5 pills. Currently it's set for 7 pills left. DH has a lot more meds he takes. Some have to be adjusted more often. He called and had the pharmacy gradually timed the dates so most months or weeks we can get several or most all at once. When I need another doctor's authorization for my thyroid meds the pharmacy texts me that they have requested it.

DH uses the 7 day night and day case to track his meds. I just pop a pill first thing in the morning.

Any current medical info we need is online and we have access to each others should the need arise. We also have signed paperwork on file with the physicians allowing us to exchange info and for them to release information to either of us. We did this because it got tiresome for us to go in together and verbally request the doctor share information for the non treated spouse.

I have 20 prescriptions, some like my albuterol sulfate for my nebulizer and my EpiPen are for if needed. Then I have 11 over the counter meds. So mine are a bit complicated.

I do have lists of both our meds and times and strengths typed out to take to doctors with us.

DH has 9 scripts and 4 OTC meds.

Some of mine are cheaper to get locally and some are cheaper thru the mail. Several are over $112 for 3 months.

I use 3 pill boxes and fill every 3 weeks.

I have mine on auto refill, my chart, and a list in my wallet in case of emergency.

I used to take care of Dh's refills too. He'd tell me when it was low, and I'd get them refilled. But when I went back to work full time, and we had different health insurance companies, I relinquished that job to him. He's an adult, I figured it was time. ......20+ years of marriage later....

We travel, normally, so don't want scripts delivered automatically in case we are gone. It has happened.

Looking at the number of OTC stuff mentioned unless part are things like Aspercreme that is put on the skin I am amazed and glad I am only taking three with an occasional pill such as aspirin or naproxen if I overdo things like I did today. I used to do the vitamin and minerals stuff but got wise and gave it up years ago.

We each handle our own. The only med DH is on is for high cholesterol and I have 2 inhalers, one only as needed. I guess the only one I really need daily is my maintenance inhaler, and I have a stockpile. I can get it once a month, so I do, but don't use it up. Preparing for if and when I retire before I have to pay for my own. After a morning like today, retirement is looking mighty fine.

I have three maintenance prescription meds: Advair (inhaler), Lisinopril, and generic Pepsid; and two 'as needed', Tylenol-4 and Zolpidem. I also take Vit D3. I have monthly infusions of Darzalex to combat multiple myeloma.

DH has three maintenance prescription meds, plus Zolpidem as needed. He takes D3 and aspirin. (Wish *I* could take aspirin! Superior to Tylenol.)

I'd be concerned about anyone taking more than half a dozen prescription meds. Maybe you would take them all in to your primary for a winnowing?

My hospital's MyChart details my medications and is available outside that practice to any other providers (with my permission) -- as Elmer already explained.

I too am concerned but more about the OTC stuff so many are combinations of the same stuff under the company's proprietary name. There are still doctors that will simply OK refills when a pharmacy or patient contacts them without looking at all the medications that are being taken. Then if you use different pharmacies, local and mail order duplicates may not be caught. Recently I kept receiving automatic renewal notices from CVS for a script that I no longer take. It was a different strength of thyroid than I am now taking. If I did not pay attention to what I was taking I could very easily accepted and taken both strengths. I saw this happen both with my husband and my mother although her doctor was a quack who never paid attention to the medicine only the dose. 6 prednisone strengths taken from two to four times a day for years. When I raised concerns he carefully looked at each bottle and agreed they were all necessary.

My primary care and my allergist, I take allergy shots, know all the meds I take. I’ll have to count how many of my Rx’s are as needed.

kathyg good idea but while you are doing that since you have allergies and some are probably for that also check any combination of ingredients. I have known several people who during allergy season take multiple meds that have the same ingredients in them. Multiple decongestants and antihistamines taken at the same time can increase the blood pressure. Some also have pain relievers in them. Best flying without leaving the ground happened when I took multiple cold/allergy medications.

My husband takes heart meds and used to keep them in a dresser drawer. He gets up earlier, and many mornings I would awaken to him rattling bottles, trying to remember whether or not he had taken his meds. Then I saw an ad for Pillpack and got him to sign up. Every month they mail him a box containing a roll of little plastic packets filled with his meds. Each tiny packet is labeled with the day, date, time to take it and a list of what's inside. Now he knows at a glance if he's taken his meds. If he travels, it's easy to take along the packets dated for the length of his trip. He usually hates dealing with telephone customer service, but says the people at Pillpack are great. And now I can sleep late without worrying about whether or not he's taken his meds.

I found two shoe boxes plus of various medications my husband was taking. Most were the same medication but of different strengths. He had unstable Afib and took warfarin. Each time his clotting factor changed his doctor sent in another prescription for what he needed then. Husband just took what the doctor told him to do rather than asking if he could use the previous strength so I can easily see how people can have many bottles of the same medication and unless they pay attention not be aware of it.

7 of my meds are as needed!

I only take one, once a day, so that’s easy. I call the pharmacy when I’m getting low. My mother, however, takes six per day and I am in charge of those. Thank heavens she only takes each one once a day, so their is no worry about timing. I order some through Optum RX ( hate them, but they can get a eye drop she needs) and some fromRite Aid . I need to switch to automated refills, It would be a lot easier.

My husbands headaches are so severe that he loses track of when he has to see his doctor to get a new prescription and because they're a narcotic, he can't get "refills". So I have to remind him at the beginning of the last week of each month to get in to see his doctor for a new prescription.

I'm on nothing and plan to stay that way. I'll change my way of eating before I get stuck on rx medication. My mother will be 87 next week and is on one prescription and dad will be 89 next month and on 0 prescriptions. I want to be like them. :)

Debby, I’m very prone to headaches and migraines so I really feel for your DH. I don’t get the migraine part as often now thank goodness, but when I was younger, they came quite often. I wasn’t considered to be “sick” so I’d have to work with them and it was hard. I feel terrible for anyone having to deal with them.

When I was caring for my DH, he had a good 30 medications so I created a schedule sheet with all the meds listed, dosage and so on. There was a spot for each day of the week so he could check it off when he took it. At the bottom of the page was a space for him to make a list when something got low. Every week, he’d start a new sheet and order whatever was needed. We kept it on the counter by his coffee station so both of us knew what was going on when. It was also a good way to provide a current list of medications to his doctors.

He had a couple that were harder to get filled, they came from a specialty pharmacy. At the end of every cycle, we’d sit together and call the specialty pharmacy to arrange for delivery. It was an ordeal, that would take atleast 1/2 hour to do. Not fun at all.

I feel for people who suffer from migraine headaches. For some, a flair up puts a complete STOP to everyday life because of the pain and disability that can result.

There are medical doctors who specialize in treating headache and migraines. A friend who has had a lifetime of migraine suffering found complete relief a good number of years ago after going to the headache/migraine clinic at one of the local medical schools. The solution for him was botox injections. I'm not sure where the injections are placed. He gets them every 3 months or so and no longer has migraines at all.

Yes, my younger sister is also prone to them, she was prescribed a more unconventional method as well which has helped her a lot. I don’t think the pain for some is any worse than the pain for others Elmer, a flair up is a flair up. Our bodies may react differently to them or tolerate the pain better but the pain was/is always always eye crossing severe. When mine were at their peak, employers were just not that empathetic to them and if you needed a job, you went to work irregardless of how you felt.

Back in my 30s I had what the various doctors I went to called migraines. Since meds have improved since then things might be different including the trip to the psychologist to see what were the mental aspects of it. Was put on anti-depressants of course. While there are people who actually have migraines about a year and a half ago I found out what the cause of mine were when having a massage. The therapist touched a spot on my collar bone that triggered one of the headaches with flashing lights, nausea and pain. She worked on that spot for maybe a minute and it was gone. I was so glad to learn that I did not have migraines. After about a year and a half of trips to various doctors with no help I simply learned to live with them.

Lukki Irish, I wish his headaches were migraines. I think they would be easier to treat and there would be more medications and treatments available to him. His are caused from a car accident he was in just over 8 years ago. They actually began during physical therapy for his injured shoulder. Workers Comp sent him to PT BEFORE tests were done to see the injuries he had. A therapist had him to a standing pushup against a wall and the pain just shot through his head. It never went away. And by never, I mean unless he's sleeping and on strong pain meds, he has a constant horrific headache. While he can bend down to pick something up, if he does it more than twice, it feels like someone has taken a bat to the back of his head and it radiates towards the front. Any time he yawns, the pain is excruciating. And that's ON his medication. He's had several MRI's done and gone through pain therapy and tried several medications. He even tried to have two vertebra fused together to see if that was the problem. They were damaged in the accident. It didn't do a thing. Then he was in the hospital about 18 months ago and a doctor from the headache clinic here tried him on a drug that is used on cancer patients: Nabilone. It's synthetic CBD. The first night he used it he slept for 8 hours which is the first time in 7 years he had done that. He was living on 2 to 3 hours of sleep a night before and it did quite the number on his mental health. Being in the hospital wasn't his choice, I had him put in there. Since losing my job however, I'm now forced to pay for this medication which runs over $450 per month which is almost 1/2 his pension cheque. I don't know how we're going to pay for it. I have this month of benefits left as part of my severance agreement.

Wow, your poor DH, what a mess. I’m glad they found something that helps but that’s a good chunk of change to pay out of pocket. I thought Canada had universal healthcare, so I don’t understand why you have to pay so much. Aren’t there resources there that you can tap into? I’m so sorry that you and your DH are going through this.

Universal healthcare covers doctors visits and hospital stays and surgeries. Not prescription medication. For that we either pay ourselves, or if we get benefits from work (usually covers dental, eyes up to a couple hundred per year, and prescriptions) it's up to free depending on the plan.

The NDP (who are the reason we have universal healthcare) are now trying to push to have dental as part of healthcare as well, which I've never understood why it's not already. Healthy teeth are important to a healthy body and a dentist is crazy expensive. I need crowns and even with benefits, MY share for one crown was $700! And they don't understand why I don't get the other one done...

That’s crazy. How can you have medical care and not have prescriptions covered? I looked up the out of pocket price of your DH’s medicine here and it’s around 1200.00 on average. My husbands chemo meds, they were in the 100,000’s per month. It’s literally a death sentence if you don’t have prescription coverage. I’ll keep you in my prayers Debby, I didn’t know you lost your job either. I can only imagine how stressed you must be. (((Hugs)))

If Canada is like the UK, your husband’s chemo meds would be free, Lukki. Any medication prescribed by a hospital is covered, as is any medication for a permanent disabling condition such as asthma, epilepsy or diabetes. There is a flat rate charge for other prescriptions issued by GPs of just over 12$, regardless of the cost of the drug. There is a prepayment card scheme for people who require multiple prescriptions which works out cheaper. If the item could be bought otc for less than the prescription charge you will be advised to buy it yourself. There are many exemptions to prescription charges: under 18s, over 60s, unemployed and other benefit recipients, pregnant women, etc.

There’s controversy here over Nabilone. It is only licensed as an anti emetic for cancer patients, not for pain relief, so it isn't available on the NHS for that purpose. You’d have to obtain it privately. I’m wondering if the same applies in Canada and that’s why Debby has to pay for it.

Lukki, in Canada if you can't afford cancer medication there is compassionate care. You will be covered one way or another. Working in the pharmacy (just to receive their orders, not dispense), we often had Humira and Stelara shipped for free for people who can't pay for them, amongst other medications.

And what a HUGE difference in price from the US to Canada for the Nabilone. He takes .75mg 3x a day. $450 a month for 30 day supply. That's with no dispensing fees.

Lost my job because they felt the managers would do my job and got rid of my position. I got a nice severance package. :) But I talked to one of the managers and she's doing the bulk of my job on top of hers. I said, "you realize you're doing the job of two people and only getting paid for the job of one, right?" She was no impressed..... but that's another thread. lol

Well, I’ll keep you in my thoughts Debby and if you need to vent don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ve been in similar shoes and know how stressful it can be.