Jean in Newcastle Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I have two compounded prescription medicines. Both come in capsules with white powder in them. There is a very slight size variation but other than that, they are nearly impossible to tell apart. I got confused this week and don't have the same number of pills in all of my pill containers. Is there a way to mark one of these pills with something - food safe marker possibly? that will allow me to visually keep from having a pill snafu? One med esp. is very important to take and can cause major problems if I accidentally skip it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Are the capsules clear? I have food safe markers used in cake decorating and they work well on regular pills and work ok on clear capsules. If the capsules are colored I'm not sure the markers would be bright enough to show easily. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Are the capsules clear? I have food safe markers used in cake decorating and they work well on regular pills and work ok on clear capsules. If the capsules are colored I'm not sure the markers would be bright enough to show easily. the capsules are clear 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OH_Homeschooler Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I just use a pill organizer and organize my pills for the week over the weekend. I put pill 1 in each day of the organizer, then pill 2, etc. Then I don't have to think about it every morning when I'm bleary-eyed, I just take my Monday pills and I'm done and there's no confusion. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Next time you have them compounded can you ask the pharmacist to color/mark them for you in some way? You could use the other suggestions in the interim, but if the pharmacist does it there's no chance of mix up next time- that would be terrible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) I just use a pill organizer and organize my pills for the week over the weekend. I put pill 1 in each day of the organizer, then pill 2, etc. Then I don't have to think about it every morning when I'm bleary-eyed, I just take my Monday pills and I'm done and there's no confusion. I take 20 pills a day. I do organize my pills. Something got off this week (I was distracted or interrupted or something). Most of my pills I can sort out visually because they are different colors and shapes. These two compounded ones are different. Edited January 10, 2017 by Jean in Newcastle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Next time you have them compounded can you ask the pharmacist to color/mark them for you in some way? You could use the other suggestions in the interim, but if the pharmacist does it there's no chance of mix up next time- that would be terrible! One of the compounded pills used to be colored pink. The compounding pharmacy stopped doing that recently because other patients complained about the dyes. I can ask, but I think that they do the compounding in batches that include other people and not just my pills. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Hmm. I think maybe I'd get another pill organizer exclusively for one of the two look-alikes if the pharmacy can't mark them or use colored capsules. That would make me nervous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) Maybe get some kind of liquid food coloring (vegetable juice based if you are sensitive to other colorings) and dip the tip of each capsule in it for one medication. Just lay them on a paper towel to dry then put them away. Edited January 10, 2017 by maize 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I would try the food safe marker around the middle where the capsule overlaps in case that little bit of liquid affects the capsule. I think you can buy those markers in the cake decorating section of a craft store. I just had another idea: Can they put one of the pills in a blister pack for you? Some pharmacies offer this as an option now. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OH_Homeschooler Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I take 20 pills a day. I do organize my pills. Something got off this week (I was distracted or interrupted or something). Most of my pills I can sort out visually because they are different colors and shapes. These two compounded ones are different. OK, sorry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Another idea: Depending on how full each capsule is, can you dent in one end of each pill? Or crimp it at one end? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Look for all-natural powdered food dye and shake some into the bottle. Or buy a bag of Just Strawberries or other freeze dried fruit and shake the crumbs/powder from the bottom of the bag into your pill bottle. Enough will stick to color them 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Thanks everyone. Dd helped me to sort out this week's pills. One pill is very slightly fatter than the other. but it's such a slight difference that I start to wonder if I'm imagining it! I think (hope) that we figured it out. It won't kill me if I double up one and miss the other but it could make me miserable. I'm going to try the food safe marker first. I googled and it looks like Michaels carries them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Can you tell by comparing the pills to new ones from the bottles? I've done that before and have usually been successful. When it isn't, I compare in different lighting; sometimes there is a difference that shows up better in dimmer or brighter light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) I have two compounded prescription medicines. Both come in capsules with white powder in them. There is a very slight size variation but other than that, they are nearly impossible to tell apart. I got confused this week and don't have the same number of pills in all of my pill containers. Is there a way to mark one of these pills with something - food safe marker possibly? that will allow me to visually keep from having a pill snafu? One med esp. is very important to take and can cause major problems if I accidentally skip it. I would ask the pharmacy where you get them what to do, and I would also ask them to please differentiate them in the future. Edited January 10, 2017 by Laurie4b 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Can you tell by comparing the pills to new ones from the bottles? I've done that before and have usually been successful. When it isn't, I compare in different lighting; sometimes there is a difference that shows up better in dimmer or brighter light. Yeah, I was looking at them with a flashlight. And I was comparing them to the ones in the bottles. But the clear capsules come in certain sizes. The capsules used for each med. are very close in size. But I think we got it sorted out for now. I can tip out the pills from one bottle and mark them all for future weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) I have two compounded prescription medicines. Both come in capsules with white powder in them. There is a very slight size variation but other than that, they are nearly impossible to tell apart. I got confused this week and don't have the same number of pills in all of my pill containers. Is there a way to mark one of these pills with something - food safe marker possibly? that will allow me to visually keep from having a pill snafu? One med esp. is very important to take and can cause major problems if I accidentally skip it. Could you ask the compounding pharmacy to color them for you as they make them? ETA: Sorry, asked and answered. Bill Edited January 10, 2017 by Spy Car 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 They do make those pill organizers to help avoid confusion for people taking multiple medications. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Could you keep one set of look-alike pills in their original container, and put a bead or something in your pill organizer to remind you to take those specific pills? (In case the food marker doesn't work out...) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 They do make those pill organizers to help avoid confusion for people taking multiple medications. Bill I use the organizers, Bill. In fact, I have a big one with three different time slots per day and use all three time slots - so 21 spots for pills. And I have a system - pick up first a.m. pill bottle and plop 7 pills one after another in the first time slot, etc. But I got distracted while doing it - I even knew it at the time - and went - "Whoops! Now where was I on that count?" And OF COURSE, it had to be while doing the look-alike pills and not just the first look-alike pill bottle but the second one so now I wasn't sure if I had put two of Look-alike A in a spot or just one. . . or what. Any other pill would have been easy to figure out where I went wrong and to have kept going because they are made visually different partly for that reason. It was just one of those things! But I know that it's probably not the last time I'm going to get distracted or interrupted by someone in this house, so I want to make it easier for next time. I can and will ask the compounding pharmacist about coloring them in some way next time I need a refill but I have to use up this bottle of unmarked pills first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) Can you mark the bottles or pill organizers? If you take your pills twice a day you could write am and pm then tally mark on the actual bottle with a sharpie when you take your allotted dosage for that time slot. If that won't work maybe tally on a sticker label or piece of paper on the fridge. This again may require marking the bottle or pill organizer. You could paint a different colored dot with fingernail polish on each pill bottle, and have corresponding dots on paper posted to your fridge. Just tally next to the appropriate dot when you take your pills. Eta: fixing awkward wording Edited January 10, 2017 by Excelsior! Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Can you mark the bottles or pill organizers? If you take your pills twice a day you could write am and pm then tally mark on the actual bottle with a sharpie when you take your allotted dosage for that time slot. If that won't work maybe tally on a sticker label or piece of paper on the fridge. This again may require marking the bottle or pill organizer. You could paint a different colored dot with fingernail polish on each pill bottle, and have corresponding dots on paper posted to your fridge. Just tally next to the appropriate dot when you take your pills. Eta: fixing awkward wording My pill bottles are marked on the top with AM, PM, or AM/PM in some cases, as well as if they are more than two at a time. I do that even though the doses and times are of course on the actual bottle, for ease in distributing what is 140 pills a week (20 x 7). Of those 140 pills, a week 126 of them have no risk of mix-up due to them being made different sizes, shapes and colors by the manufacturers. Anyway. . . thanks for the advice everyone. I'm off to Michael's now to see if the food safe markers will work. If for some reason the marker color won't adhere to the capsule, then I'll come back here to try some of the other suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I'm glad you got it sorted out. Explain what happened to the pharmacy. They can order those capsules in many colors and should be more than happy to differentiate them for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 The food safe marker worked very well! Thanks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I use the organizers, Bill. In fact, I have a big one with three different time slots per day and use all three time slots - so 21 spots for pills. And I have a system - pick up first a.m. pill bottle and plop 7 pills one after another in the first time slot, etc. But I got distracted while doing it - I even knew it at the time - and went - "Whoops! Now where was I on that count?" And OF COURSE, it had to be while doing the look-alike pills and not just the first look-alike pill bottle but the second one so now I wasn't sure if I had put two of Look-alike A in a spot or just one. . . or what. Any other pill would have been easy to figure out where I went wrong and to have kept going because they are made visually different partly for that reason. It was just one of those things! But I know that it's probably not the last time I'm going to get distracted or interrupted by someone in this house, so I want to make it easier for next time. I can and will ask the compounding pharmacist about coloring them in some way next time I need a refill but I have to use up this bottle of unmarked pills first. Glad you got it sorted Jean. I just started taking my very first prescription (a tiny white pill) and I realize how confused I can get just taking one daily :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 Glad you got it sorted Jean. I just started taking my very first prescription (a tiny white pill) and I realize how confused I can get just taking one daily :D Bill Amateur. ;) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Amateur. ;) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk For sure :D Bill 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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