A blister pack that sorts your medication by day and time

Everything due at the same time sits together in one sealed compartment, labelled with the day and the time. When that dose is due, you push the square open and take what is inside. The rest stay sealed.

That is what makes it different from a bottle. An open square means the dose is gone; a sealed one means it is not. If you have ever stood in the kitchen trying to remember whether you already took the morning pills, this answers it without you having to remember anything.

We start with your prescriptions and the directions on each one, then group what belongs together. Nothing about how a medicine should be taken changes — the pack just makes the routine you were already given easier to follow.

Not everything belongs in a pack. Some medications have storage or timing requirements that need them kept separate, and a few cannot be packed at all. The pharmacist goes through the list and tells you what goes in and what stays out, and why.

People taking several medications at different times of day. Seniors managing a long list without sorting bottles every week. Anyone caring for a parent, where the pack shows at a glance whether today's dose was taken — from across the room, without an argument about it.

It also helps anyone whose week is too irregular to keep track. It does not replace the directions on your prescription or the advice of your pharmacist; it just puts the routine in a form you can see.

A missed dose, a double dose or a dose at the wrong time all have consequences, and the more medications you take the easier they are to make. Organizing them properly makes the plan your prescriber set out easier to actually follow.

If you do miss one or take the wrong thing, do not guess what to do next. Call us with the medication name and what happened. We will tell you exactly what to do about that medicine, on that schedule.

A sealed card is far easier to carry than a bag of bottles, whether that is a work day, a weekend away or a long trip. Keep the label with the pack, and keep it out of heat and damp. Do not move tablets into another container — the label carries directions you may need.

Travelling? Make sure you have enough to cover the trip and ask us about storage before you go. Our travel clinic can look at vaccines and travel medication for your destination in the same visit.

Bring your medications, the containers and an up-to-date list to any of our stores — and include vitamins, supplements and anything you buy off the shelf, because those interact too. The pharmacist goes through the schedule with you and explains how your pack will be laid out.

If your prescriptions are at another pharmacy, just tell us which one. We call them and request the transfer ourselves. Once everything is in one place, we can set up your packs and keep them coming.