Many of us take our prescription medications with us on vacation or when we are “snowbirding” to a warmer climate for the winter.  Organizing medications with a weekly or monthly pill organizer is a great idea but don’t forget to have the prescription information ready for an emergency.

 Know your Medications

I remember being in an emergency room with my son when an elderly couple came into the bed next to us.  Through the curtain, I heard the doctor asking the couple if the husband took any medications.  The doctor asked for the list and the wife said she left the pill organizer at home.  He asked what the names of the medications were and the best answer she could give was “a little yellow pill and a chunky orange pill”.

The doctor asked for their doctor’s name so that they could call and get accurate information and unfortunately, they would not be able to treat the man until they knew what medications he was taking.

That was a big wake-up call for me.  I travel all the time with pills in a weekly organizer and really couldn’t have listed all the names and dosages.

The next time I went on a trip I was sure to have a list of all my medications and my husband’s medications with the dosages in my purse.  That way if there was ever an emergency, I would be able to hand it over to an ambulance driver or I would be able to fill out that part of the forms quickly and accurately at the hospital.

Another easy fix is taking a photo on my smart phone.  Not only does it have the medication name it has the dosage, the doctor’s information, and the pharmacy information.

So next time you leave the house weather it’s for a trip or for any other reason, be prepared and have a list and/or photos of all your medications.