Oral chemotherapy medicines are taken by mouth in the form of capsules, tablets or liquid. While this allows you to cut down on trips to the hospital and take this treatment at home, it can also be challenging to manage medication schedules.
A drug diary can help patients to record daily medication use, keep track of special instructions and document side effects. Below are links to three drug diaries that may be helpful to you.
How to Use the Drug Diary
Select the drug diary that matches your oral chemotherapy schedule. Print it out and keep it in a place where you'll remember to write in it, such as next to your bed, near your kitchen table, in the bathroom, or on the refrigerator.
Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have any questions about how to use the drug diary.
- Single oral chemotherapy, once a day
- Single oral chemotherapy, twice a day
- Multiple oral chemotherapies
Before starting oral chemotherapy and using one of the drug diaries, you'll need to know the following information:
- Name of the drug
- Strength and dose (e.g. 10 mg tablets, take two)
- Directions for taking the drug: how much, how often, when, etc.
- If you have trouble swallowing the tablets, can they be opened, broken or crushed?
- Is it safe to take with other drugs, food, drinks, etc.?
- What should you do if you miss a dose?
- Where should you store the drugs?
- What are the likely side-effects?
- What are the contact numbers of your doctor and nurse?
Other Ways to Manage Your Medications
There are other free resources for patients to help manage their medications, including non-chemotherapy medicines.
If you have any questions about the medicines you are taking or about the resources provided here, please talk with your doctor or nurse.
My Medicine List™
My Medicine List can help you keep track of your pills and vitamins. You can fill out each line electronically, save it, and print out a copy.
Edward Hospital Medication Tracker
This tracker from Edward Hospital provides various tracking forms to help you manage your medications.
e-pill online store
This online retailer offers a large selection of medication reminder devices, such as alarm watches, pill organizers, and automatic dispensers.
Disclaimer: Inclusion of these websites does not constitute endorsement or approval by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of any of the products or services contained therein. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of these external sites or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external sites if you have questions about their content.