HIV Medication Adherence Tip #6: Develop a Routine

Daily adherence with HIV medications  is the key to bringing your viral load down to low or undetectable levels, which will  dramatically improve your chances of staying healthy and living a full life.  I have noticed that the clients who struggle the most with taking daily medications are the ones who live without routines. 
Here is my latest tip for improving your HIV medication adherence:

Tip #6:  Develop a daily routine or ritual for taking your HIV medications.

Do you go to bed a different time every night?  Get up whenever you wake up?  Eat meals at various times when you feel like it?  Vary you schedule every day?  If this describes you, you will likely have difficulty remembering to take HIV medications every day.

It is best to take HIV medications at about the same time every day, within a four-hour window.  You don't want to give your virus a chance to grow, which is what happens when there is not enough medication in your blood stream to shut it down.  This can happen when you vary your dosing times by too many hours, say 6 AM one day and midnight the next day.

If you find that you are forgetting your medications, develop a routine for success.  Here are some tips:

Image via Wikipedia.  I hope your medication

 set-up does not look like this!

1.  Take your medications at meal time, and establish a set time for eating daily.  Breakfast and dinner time are usually good times to take medications.   Not only will you have better lab results for your HIV, you will also feel better throughout the day, because you are providing your body the fuel it needs to perform its best.

Here's a sample morning routine:
6:30 AM  Get up, shower and dress.
7:00 AM Morning coffee, eat breakfast, take medications
7:30 Work or school

2.  Take your medications at bedtime, if this is easier for you.  Keep your medication organizer near your toothbrush where you will see it.

3.  Have a favorite TV show that you watch every day?  You could take your medications while watching the program, but you have to do it every day.

4.  Is there somebody you chat with every day?  You could take your medications while you talk to them.  You could even ask them to remind if you to take your medications.

5.  Create a checklist for each day and make a check when you take your medications. Keep the checklist visible, such as on the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Keep track of how you do from week to week, and strive for missing less than 1-2 doses per month.

They say if you can do something every day for a month, it will become a habit.  Taking your medications every day is a very good habit to develop.  That's it for today.  Have a great weekend!

Wishing you health in 2012!
© William L. Larson, Pharm.D. 2012

Adherence Tip #5: Choose Your Pharmacy Carefully

Daily adherence with HIV medications  is the key to bringing your viral load down to low or undetectable levels, which will dramatically improve your chances of staying healthy and living a full life.  Simple, right?  Not really.  Here is my latest tip for improving your HIV medication adherence.

Tip #3:  Use one pharmacy, preferably one that specializes in HIV.
Make your pharmacy staff allies in helping you to succeed with your HIV medications.  Use a single pharmacy for all of your medications.  This cuts the chance of taking interacting medications, because the single pharmacy will know about all of your medications.  It also makes it easier to keep track of refills and insurance changes.

Image by sonyaseattle via Flickr

I suggest you choose your pharmacy carefully.  Some pharmacies do a better job of caring for people with HIV than others.  Why is this?  If you go to a pharmacy that serves few people with HIV, they are less likely to have your medications in stock.  This could result in a delay in getting your refills, which might cause you to run out of medication.  Remember, the goal of HIV therapy is no missed doses.

Another reason to choose a pharmacy specializing in HIV is the pharmacist will have a better grasp on HIV and its current treatment.   For example,  HIV is controlled with a combination of three or more medications in most instances, and your pharmacist must give you the complete regimen every month for it to be succesful.

Image via Wikipedia

In Minneapolis where I live, I often refer people to Walgreen's Specialty Pharmacy and Bioscrip.  Other pharmacies also do a good job with HIV, but I know these two pharmacies give excellent service.  Not every Walgreen's is a specialty pharmacy, nor do they all HIV expertise, however, so ask the pharmacist before giving them your prescriptions.  Walgreen's has certified 500 of their pharmacies in the US as HIV Centers of Excellence.

Here are some ways to help your pharmacy give you the best care:
1.  Carry your insurance information so that your are charged correctly.
2.  Call in your refills a week in advance, if possible.
3.  Take advantage of free delivery service if available, especially if you tend to run out of medications.
4.  Ask if they will alert you when it is time for refills.
5.  Walgreens has an app which allows you to order refills from your iPhone.

I hope this tip helps you with your medication adherence.  Stay tuned in coming days for more tips.
Wishing you health in 2012!

© William L. Larson, Pharm.D. 2012