Blister packs for medication

[NetZeroZealot]

DF has to take 5 tablets a day, spread over morning and evening.
Currently has a weekly pill box DM is filling for him. But she doesn't always remember to check if he's taken them.
I'm thinking blister packs would be easier to manage for them both.
Has anyone got any helpful experience to share?
Thanks

Is the pill box your mum makes up got separate morning and night compartments? Cause that's all a blisterpack really is, if he still forgets to take his medication a blisterpack wont help, might be better setting alarms?

You need to speak to the pharmacist, they can sort out the blister packs. They are useful.

Be aware that some pharmacies insist that the GP has to make a recommendation for blister packs and will ask the person whose medication it is if they want blister packs. My mums gp refused to do this as my mum said she didn't want them. You can imagine the mess my mum was getting in.

You can also get an automatic pill dispenser that releases the medication at the correct time and has an alarm to notify them to take it. Its better than a blister pack

At least I’ll be able to tell
if he hasn’t taken the medicine rather than wondering if Mum didn’t fill it up properly

@NetZeroZealot as

@LetMeGoogleThat stated, your pharmacist will sort and take the onus from your Mum (which you can then check)

Electronic pill dispenser? They even alarm to remind someone to take their tablets

The electronic ones are very good but it would still rely on someone filling it up so if you think your Mum is not very reliable it won’t help.

He’d ignore the alarm.

But surely that's on him? You can lead a horse to water......

I was told by the hospital my mum was in that very few pharmacists do blister packs anymore.

I’ve checked and there is one I. Their area which does them.

When I was caring for my DF at end of life he had numerous pills to be taken. Some twice, some three and some four times a day. I typed up a spreadsheet with the name of the medication, time and a tickbox. It was the only way I could deal with it efficiently. I’m not sure if something like this would help.

"Blister packs" are no longer offered by many pharmacies. They are time consuming, risky, not NHS funded and often don't solve the core issues a patient has with remembering to take their medication.

If you think it might help, ask at local pharmacies, many will not offer the service at all, and those that do may charge for it.

i have found a pharmacy which does it, that is not the issue.
Im interested in hearing from people who have used them and found them helpful- or not.

Forgive my lack of understanding, all my medications are blister packs, a pain to push the tablets out.

They’re talking about packs whereby if a person has 3 meds to take, all 3 meds are in a blister for each time they need taking.
Intake 3 meds, 2 am and 1 evening. So my blister pack would have 2 blisters per day with 2 tabs in the morning blister and 1 in the evening.

I'm guessing you mean a dossette box, as opposed to a nomad box that people fill at home?

In the team I work in, this is something our occupational therapists spend a lot of time on. Why would he ignore the alarm? Eg doesn't want to take them, hears the alarm but doesn't know what it's for, hears the alarm and thinks 'meds time' but then forgets?

Would your mum hear the alarm and action it if the dossette box were properly set up?

Have a look at PillTime and see if you think that would solve the problem - but it all depends what the actual problem is.

One problem is he is supposed to have the morning pills after breakfast but sometimes doesn’t have breakfast until 12. So if the alarm went off at say 10.30 he’d just decide to wait. And then probably forget.

They are offered by lots of pharmacies - in fact most here provide them. They’re time confining but it’s also guaranteed business.

many can’t be discharged from hospital until a pharmacy doing blister packs is found

DM had been using them for about the last 8 months. She has mixed dementia, but still lives alone at home and it makes taking her meds a lot easier.

The only issue is if she gets a new medication added part way through the packs (delivered in 4 x 1 week packs each month) she has to try and remember to take the additional medication, as they won't reissue the blister packs (even just adding the new med to an existing pack.) Her pharmacy are generally very good though.

A review of his meds would be useful.

Does he totally need all the meds?
Do they come in alternatives that are once a day to make life easier?
How crucial is it that he takes them at particular times eg after food?
Is having them after lunch the right thing to do if that's his first meal or are they supposed to be specific times apart?
Would be better directed just to take them rather than trying to take them at the 'perfect' time?

A proper review of his meds with his GP would be helpful.

PILs meds are prepped into blister packs by a pharmacy a 30 minute drive away. Costs £10 per person per month including delivery. They have carers in a few times a day to support taking them.

Sounds like he need better prompts to take the medication as prescribed. Having it in a blister pack won’t solve that and many pharmacies will only start this service on the advice of a medical professional, not a family member. You will see what’s gone from a blister pack but still won’t know if it was actually taken, or if that happened at the right time.

is there a reason that you mum can’t make sure it’s taken at the right time (alarm for her if one for him won’t help)? If not, i would find out if the medication is essential and can it be streamlined into being taken all at once. Failing that he may need carers to call to prompt with medication being taken correctly.