Taking your diabetes medicine as directed by your doctor is one of the most important things you can do to control blood sugar.

Not taking your diabetes medicine as directed by your doctor means:

• Your medicines will not work the way they should.
• Your blood sugar may go up.
• You may be at risk for serious health complications.
• Your blood sugar may become harder to control.

I don't have time to take my medicine every day.

Taking more than one medicine at different times each day can be hard. The key is to create a routine that fits your life:

• What you eat and when you eat has an effect on how your diabetes medicines work. Talk to your doctor about a routine for taking your diabetes medicines.
• Your medicine routine may need to be timed with your meals, snacks, and/or physical activity.
• Ask your doctor if there are medicines available that may be right for you and may reduce the number of medicines you have to take. Only your doctor can decide.

If you forget doses often:

• Use a pill box marked with the days of the week. Take it with you when you are away from home.
• Wear a watch. Set an alarm. Leave yourself a note on the bathroom mirror or your refrigerator.
• Keep your medicine in a place where you will see it daily.

If you forget to refill your medicine on time:

• Mark a calendar with "Refill on [date]". Choose a date about a week before you will run out.
• Make sure you have enough refills to last you until your next doctor visit.
• Ask your pharmacy to send you reminders to refill your prescription.

I feel fine. Why do I need to take all these medicines?

You may feel fine today because high blood sugar does not always cause symptoms. But you need to take medicine every day to prevent serious health problems over time.

 

Other Tools

• My Medicine Schedule