If you are treating your migraines with preventive medication and/or with abortive (emergency) medication, organization is essential. Preventive medication must be taken regularly to be effective, and emergency medication must be readily available when needed so that it can be taken quickly.


Steps

1. • First Steps:
   1. Divide your medication into preventive medication and emergency medication. Keep the medication in its original containers from the pharmacist or drugstore.
   2. Find a clear plastic container with a lid which will hold all the medication bottles and boxes. This will be your “master” container. Make sure the lid closes tightly. Make a label for the box that says “Migraine Medication in large print, and tape it with clear tape to the top of the box.
   • Preventive Medication:
   1. Construct a chart of how your preventive medications should be taken. Include the following columns: Brand name, generic name, dosage, and a separate column for each time of day that medication is taken. When filling in the columns, put in a number for how many pills should be taken at that time. For example, if you take a certain medication once at breakfast and two pills at bedtime, put a “1” in the breakfast column and a “2” in the bedtime column.
   2. Laminate the chart or put it in a clear sheet protector, and keep it in or near your medicine box.
   3. Purchase a divided weekly medication box at the pharmacy that is appropriate to the size of pills taken and the number of times per day. It will be labeled with the days of the week. If you take pills only once per day, there will be sections for seven days of pills. Other boxes have sections for seven days, four pill times per day. Choose a box with secure flip tops or secure sliding tops. A childproof lock can be helpful as well.
   4. Choose a day of the week to fill your weekly container. Use your chart to fill it accurately. Now you can put away your master container somewhere secure (such as in the top of your closet) where it will not be in the way. Keep your weekly container wherever you are most likely to remember to take your medicine. Although medication should not be stored in humid or hot areas, it is still possible to keep your box in a kitchen cupboard or even in your bathroom cupboard, especially if you stick it in a ziplock bag.
   5. Keep a sticky note in your master container and note the date on which you filled your container. When you have three dates listed, call your pharmacy for refills, helping you avoid last minute refill emergencies.
   6. If you find that you regularly forget to take your pills, you will need to set alarms. Two methods work best. Either buy a watch with alarms (preferably multiple ones) and set them to go off at daily regular times, or use alarms on your cell phone. Choose a unique ringtone that will mean “take meds” to you.
   7. If you need to take daily medication while not at home, purchase a smaller pill box, pill fob, or small plastic daily pill bag (sold at pharmacies, can be written on with a Sharpie). Make a label for the pill container or write on it with a permanent marker (“lunch”) and put it in your pocket, briefcase, purse, or wherever it will be available during the day. You will find many different designs for pill boxes. They should either have tops that screw on, or latch in some way. You do not want to open your purse and find loose medication all over the bottom! Many pill fobs can be attached to a key chain, and there are even attractive fobs that can be worn as a necklace if you do some careful web shopping.
   • Emergency Medication:
   1. See #7 above about portable pill containers. Purchase as many pill containers as you have types of emergency medications. Make sure each container will hold the maximum number of emergency pills that you would be allowed to use over the course of two days. This will ensure that you do not end up short of pills.
   2. Clearly label each container with the medication name (or an abbreviation). Keep them with you in your purse or briefcase. I prefer fobs with rings on the top that can be fastened together on a spare keychain – then I can grab them easily from my purse.
   3. If there are other places where you know you might need emergency meds, make a duplicate set of containers to keep there. This might include your desk at work, your gym bag, your car, or the nurse’s office if you are a student.
   4. Make a small card that fits in your wallet listing each medication name, the dosage, and guidelines given to you from your doctor about how frequently the medication can be taken. This will help prevent accidents with overly frequent dosing.
   5. Remember to check and refill these containers regularly. You can do this when you do your preventive meds, or more frequently if necessary.
   6. Note your use of emergency meds on your headache diary, so that you can show your doctor at your next appointment.
   7. Check the bottles of emergency medications and refill as needed when you refill your preventive medications.

Warnings

• Follow pharmacy and doctor's directions about how to store and take migraine medication.
• Never leave non-childproof medication containers where a child could find and open the containers.