Introduction: A Simple Method for Keeping Track of Daily Medicine

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About: I’m a lifelong maker. I became involved with the maker movement because of my children. I was looking for a way to supplement what they were doing in school with some hands-on activity.

At some point, everybody has had the problem of remembering what pills they have to take, and when. I, at least, also have a somewhat erratic schedule. I found myself forgetting to take my pills, or worse, not being able to remember if I had taken them at all.

Here is the method I use to keep track of everything.

It will require access to a 3D printer.

Supplies

Attachments

Step 1: A Simple Method

In my case, I need to take one pill when I wake up, and three others mid afternoon.

I ask the pharmacy to put the morning pills into a smaller bottle (size PM10*). The other three go into a size larger bottles (PM20).

First thing in the morning, I take the first pill from the smaller bottle. I do not put the bottle back into the holder, I place it next to the end of the holder.

Mid day (or later) I see that the small bottle is out and know that I have taken the morning pill. I then look at the bottles left in the bottle carrier. If a bottle is upright it is a 0 and if it is inverted it is a 1.

This will give me a binary number corresponding to the day. If the number corresponds to today, I take the pills and set the bottles for the number that corresponds to tomorrows day of the week.

If the number corresponds to tomorrow's day of the week I do nothing because I have already taken this afternoon's pills.

I then place the last container, the morning's small bottle, back in the carrier.


*Pharmacy bottles come in standardized sizes, you can see the what size on the bottom of each vial.

Step 2: The Days of the Week

The simplest bottle holder STL file provided is for a 1x4 pattern. By using three of the four holes, you can count the days of week, using a binary representation. An upside down bottle represents a ONE. A bottle right side up represents a ZERO.

If you ever find all the bottles right side up, reperesenting a 0000 configuration, someone might have been messing with your medicines.

Table of days


Monday = 001

Tuesday = 010

Wednesday. = 011

Thursday. = 100

Friday = 101

Saturday = 110

Sunday = 111


If I were to have more medicines to take, I would simply use a bigger base. If I had more times of day to take medicine, I would use a row for each time of day and replicate the counting scheme for each row.