Drug Chart for Caregivers, Doctors and Helpers

As my Mom's illness progressed, more and more drugs came into our lives.   I started to get an education in medicine I never wanted.   Over and over again I had to tell each new doctor which meds she was on currently and which ones she had been taking.   My Mom tried to keep the drugs straight and take the right ones at the right time but her health was compromised and sometimes her judgment so it was difficult for her.  To further complicate things, many neighbors and friends were helping care for her and they were not familiar with the various drugs and when they should be taken.

I eventually came up with this Excel spreadsheet to help me track them.   I printed one off each time we visited a doctor and handed it to them when we arrived.  I provided a date at the top so there was no confusion about which version was the most up to date.  I also put a copy under her meds in her bedroom so as caregivers came in they knew the most current information.

Doctors loved it.  Don't assume they know exactly what your loved one is taking.   At some point there will be multiple doctors involved and each are prescribing different items.  Its important your loved one have a primary caregiver who is the central point of information and this chart helped me immensely. By the way, the link is to the last updated chart before her death so it may give you a good idea of potential drugs your loved one may be taking if they have pancreatic cancer. The one shown below is a version modified to fit the space of this blog. Medications that are bold are ones she was taking currently.

Link to Spreadsheet with actual drugs she was taking and a second tab with schedule

Medication	dosage	What to Take	What it is For	When
lidoderm patch	5%	pain patch	as needed	12 hours on, 12 hours off
advil	200 mg	pain	1-2 tablets	as needed
oxycodone	5 mg	pain	1 tablet	as needed every 3-6 hours
Coumadin/ warfarin	1 mg	blood thinner	3 tablet daily	dinner
levothyroxine/ synthroid	112 mcg/175 mcg	thryroid	1 x per day	morning
omeprazole dr	20mg	acid pill	1 per day	morning
metoprolol	25 mg	irregular heart beat	1/2   per day	morning
miralax	single dose	laxative	1   dose	morning
lasix	20 mg	diuretic	every   other day	morning
senokot		stool softener	2   x day	morning/night
pancrelipase	5000 usp units	digestion	1   with each meal
zofran/ ondansetron	4 mg	1st nausea	1   tablet	as   needed
glucophage	500 mg		1   tablet twic daily