MedicinesMedicines

Your Medicines May Change as your kidney disease changes. You may getnew ones, may need different doses and mayneed to stop others.

Use a pill box

If you take medicines when you’re not athome, carry a pill container in your pocket.

Check your medicines off on a calendar

Set an alarm

Use an app on your phone

Taking Your Medicines as PrescribedMedicines work best when you take the rightdose at the right time. But everybody’s busy,and it’s hard to remember them. A few trickscan help:

You May Take a Lot of Medicines and may need to take them more thanonce a day. Sometimes the doses of thesemedicines change, or some medicines arestopped and others started. People whotake their medicines just as they areprescribed feel better and do not have tobe in the hospital as much.

Medication ReconciliationTo make sure we treat your symptoms the rightway, we will ask you about which medicines youare taking and make a list at every visit. We callthis review “medication reconciliation”. This listshould have everything you take, even vitamins,herbal products and anything you buy, evenwithout a doctor’s prescription. Keeping this listup to date belongs to you and your healthcareteam. Every time you start or stop a medicineor change a medicine dose, you should tell yourhealthcare team.You should always keep an updated list ofall of your medicines with you.

Ask Your Doctor or PharmacistBefore Taking Any New Medicine

What does the medicine do?

Is this medicine or dose ok for a personwith kidney disease?

How and when do I take it?

Is this safe with other medicines I amalready taking?

Are there side effects? What do I do ifthis happens?

What should I do if I miss a dose?

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Medicine Storage TipsKeep your medicines in a cool,dry place. Do not keep them inthe bathroom or kitchen, nearan oven or a stove.

Keep your medicines awayfrom children or pets.

Do not keep your medicines insunlight, for example, on yourwindow sill.

Some medicines need to be inthe refrigerator.

Do not take your medicines outof their original container,unless you are putting them ina pill box.

Never put your medicines in acontainer labeled for anothermedicine.

What You Need to KnowPatients with kidney disease mayreceive prescriptions for manydifferent medicines from differentdoctors. Some medicines mayrequire dose adjustments for kidneyfunction. Some may be adjusted askidney function changes. Somemedicines are not safe below acertain level of kidney function.Taking the right medicines in theright dose may actually helpprolong your kidney function. It isimportant to check on yourmedicines with your nephrologistregularly. Some nephrologists telltheir patients not to start newmedicines without calling them. Askyour nephrologist how she or hewants you to handle new medicinesor dose changes by other doctors.

It is a good idea to use a pharmacyyou trust and get all of yourprescriptions filled at the samepharmacy. They will verify that yournew prescriptions will not interferewith the ones you are alreadytaking. They can note in your filethat you have kidney disease andcan make sure that new medicinesare at appropriate doses for aperson with kidney disease. Askyour pharmacist to note in yourrecord that you have kidneydisease.

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Remember, medicines must bestored the right way. Improperstorage can affect the wayyour medicines work. Yourphysician, CKD Educator,pharmacist or nurse will tellyou how to store yourmedicines.

Medication Education

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