MS Med Chart Who? What? Why? Where? When?

These questions are how I managed my business executives before I retired. My team all knew the five W's. If they didn't learn it, they found something else to do elsewhere. It works so well for me that I thought it was a reasonable way to manage my medications. I share it here because it works for my wife and I. My doctors and their staff are now familiar with the format. When I go to my neuro, we print it and bring it. We also leave it behind when the appointment is complete. The nurses, in particular, are fond of it. Remember, I have PPMS—a nasty, rare form of the autoimmune disease multiple Sclerosis.

Here is an overview.

• Who - What doctor are we talking about? Add the doc's name here. You can add phone numbers and other contact info as well.

• What: Track the drug or therapy the doctor prescribed for you. Use the common name. Here, we want to use doctor talk. Call it what they call it.

• Why - Describe the drug or therapy and what it is treating. With MS, there are so many things harping on you it is not uncommon to take many medications for many ailments. You may have a medicine for MS like Ocravus, Zoloft for depression, and Baclofen for spasticity.

• Where - Which pharmacy holds your prescription? If it's at CVS, include the address and phone number. Medical staff like this so they know where to call in your next prescription or a refill.

• When - This is your dosage info. The date you started, how much you take, and the interval.

This works for us, and it will help you, too.

Peace, Chris