How to take your medication to work discreetly

With a little planning you can take your medication at work without forgetting it, without it spoiling and without having to explain yourself.

To take your medication to work discreetly, plan which doses fall during your working hours, use a small protected case and link each dose to a fixed moment of the day, such as your coffee break or lunch. That way nobody needs to know and you do not miss a dose.

In this article we explain how to carry and store medicines properly, what Spanish law says about the privacy of your health at work, and a few tricks for taking your tablet without drawing attention.

Which medication should you take to work?

Take only the doses you need during your working day and, if you like, a spare dose in case you finish later than planned. There is no need to carry every box: the less you carry, the easier it is to keep everything tidy and in good condition.

Before you get organised, go through your medication list and mark which doses fall during your working hours. If you are unsure whether a dose can be moved slightly to suit you better, ask your doctor or pharmacist; do not change the timing on your own.

How should you carry and store medicines so they do not spoil?

Heat, air, light and humidity can damage medicines, according to MedlinePlus, from the US National Library of Medicine. So it is best to carry them in a closed case inside your bag or rucksack and keep them in a drawer or locker, away from windows, radiators and the toilets.

• Never in the car: MedlinePlus advises against keeping medicines in the glovebox, because heat, cold and humidity in the vehicle can alter them.
• Better in their packaging: the general advice is to keep medicines in their original packaging. If you use a pill organiser, check with your pharmacist first that your medicines can go in one.
• Watch out for those that cannot leave the blister: some are sensitive to humidity. For example, the Pradaxa (dabigatran) leaflet says to keep it in the original packaging and not to peel back the blister foil until the capsule is needed.
• Check how they look: if a tablet has changed colour, texture or smell, do not take it even if it is in date, and ask at the pharmacy.

A good habit is to cut off only the part of the blister you need, without opening the pocket, so the tablet stays protected and labelled with its name and batch.

Do you have to tell your employer which medicines you take?

Information about your health is specially protected. Spain's Occupational Risk Prevention Act states that health surveillance must respect your privacy and the confidentiality of that data, and that your employer only receives the conclusions about your fitness for the job, not your medical information, unless you give your express consent.

That said, there are situations where it is worth talking to your company's prevention service or occupational health team, who are bound by the same confidentiality:

• If you drive as part of your job or operate machinery and take a medicine that can cause drowsiness or dizziness.
• If you work at height, on night shifts or in tasks where a side effect could put you at risk.
• If you need a short break at a specific time or somewhere to keep a medicine cold.

If you are unsure how your treatment affects driving, read our article on driving and medicines.

How can you take your tablet without drawing attention?

The key is to turn the dose into a routine gesture that goes unnoticed: keep water to hand, carry the dose in a small case and always take it at the same moment, for example when you start lunch. That way you do not rely on memory or need to find a quiet corner.

1. Anchor the dose to a habit: your mid-morning coffee, lunch or the end of a regular meeting. You will find more ideas in how to link each dose to a daily habit.
2. Use a neutral alarm: on vibrate and with a name that reveals nothing, such as ‘Break’ or ‘Water’.
3. Choose a discreet case: a small pill box or a glasses case works if your medicines can be taken out of their packaging.
4. Keep a spare dose at work: in its blister, in your locker or drawer, in case you forget to bring it one day.
5. Plan for remote working or travel days: so a change of place does not make you miss a dose.

A practical example: Marta and her midday tablet

Take the case of Marta, 56, an administrative assistant at an accountancy firm, with high blood pressure and knee osteoarthritis. Most of her medication is taken in the morning, but her doctor has prescribed a tablet she must take with her midday meal, and Marta has lunch at the office three days a week.

When she collects the medicine, she asks the pharmacist whether she can take it out of the blister. As the answer is better not, each morning she cuts off that day's portion of the blister and keeps it in a case in her handbag, never in the car. She sets an alarm on vibrate called ‘Lunch’ and leaves a spare dose, also in its blister, in her desk drawer. Nobody at the office notices and she no longer worries about forgetting it.

How can IMA Health help you?

With IMA Health, a specialised pharmacy prepares your medication in a personalised dosage system (SPD), organised by day and time of each dose. That way you can take to work just the dose you need, already labelled, without handling boxes or blister packs.

We take care of coordination with the pharmacy, home delivery and personalised follow-up. You can find out more in how the IMA Health service works.

Sources

• MedlinePlus: Storing your medicines (Spanish version)
• BOE: Spanish Occupational Risk Prevention Act 31/1995 (article 22, health surveillance)
• CIMA (AEMPS): Pradaxa 150 mg hard capsules package leaflet
• Spanish Ministry of Health: 5 Moments for Medication Safety (2022)

This article is for information only and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist.