Who is IMA Health for? Signs it could help you
The signs that a service with pharmacy-prepared medication delivered to your home could make daily life easier, and the cases where you may not need it.
In short
- A service like IMA Health is designed for people who take several medicines every day and want to keep managing them independently.
- The clearest signs: doubts about whether you have taken a tablet, boxes running out on different dates, several doctors or little time to go to the pharmacy.
- A specialised pharmacy prepares your medication by day and time of each dose; IMA coordinates with it, delivers it to your home and provides personalised follow-up.
- It is not for everyone: if you take one or two medicines without problems, or almost all of them are syrups, inhalers or sachets, it may add less.
A service like IMA Health is for you if you take several medicines a day and would like to stop worrying about sorting them, remembering when each box runs out or going to the pharmacy so often. A specialised pharmacy prepares your medication by day and time of each dose, and at IMA Health we coordinate with it, deliver it to your home and provide personalised follow-up. You still decide on and take your medication.
You do not need to be a particular age or depend on anyone. Many people who work, travel or simply have a busy life prefer not to spend time filling pill boxes. These are the signs that it could help you.
Which signs suggest a service like this could help you?
The main sign is that managing your medication takes up your time or leaves you unsure. If you recognise yourself in two or more of these situations, it is worth considering:
| Sign | What tends to happen | How having your medication prepared helps |
|---|---|---|
| You are unsure whether you have taken a tablet | You take too much or too little | Each dose is separated by day and time; you can see at a glance whether you have taken it |
| Your boxes run out on different dates | Extra trips to the pharmacy or running out | Preparation and home delivery are coordinated |
| You have several doctors or specialists | Treatment changes that are not reflected properly | Follow-up helps spot and apply changes |
| Little time or changing hours | Missed doses on busy days | You just pick up the pack for that dose |
| Difficulty opening blisters or reading boxes | Mistakes or late doses | Your medication arrives ready |
| You live alone and want to keep it that way | Your family worries | Organisation and follow-up without depending on anyone |
Who do pharmacists recommend personalised dosage systems for?
The good practice guidance on personalised dosage systems (SPD) from Spain's General Council of Official Colleges of Pharmacists states that people on several medicines, older people who have trouble keeping their medicines in order and people who live alone can benefit, whether suggested by the pharmacist, the doctor or at their own request.
The same document explains that the aim of an SPD is to make medicine use safer, improve treatment adherence and provide personalised information. Adherence matters: the World Health Organization points out that, in developed countries, only around half of people with chronic conditions follow their treatment properly. To find out more about how it works, read what an SPD is.
And when might you not need it?
A service like this adds less if your treatment is very simple or if most of it cannot go into an SPD. According to the same guidance, syrups, drops, sachets, ointments, patches, aerosols, effervescent or sublingual tablets and medicines that need refrigeration, for example, cannot be repackaged.
- You take one or two medicines and never have any doubts.
- Almost all your medication is inhalers, injections or liquids.
- Your treatment changes every few days and is not yet stable (in that case, better to wait until it settles).
Even so, if you take several tablets as well as an inhaler or insulin, the solid part can be prepared and you keep managing the rest.
What exactly does IMA Health do and what do you keep doing?
IMA Health does not replace your doctor or pharmacist: it handles the coordination so your medication arrives prepared and on time.
| Who | What they do |
|---|---|
| Your doctor | Diagnoses, prescribes and adjusts your treatment |
| The specialised pharmacy | Dispenses and prepares your medication by day and time of each dose |
| IMA Health | Coordinates with the pharmacy, delivers to your home and provides personalised follow-up |
| You | Take your medication, report any changes and make decisions about your health |
It is a paid service; if you would like to know the terms, you can check them on the IMA Health website or in the article about our home medication service.
A practical example: Teresa, 57, an engineer with three specialists
Take the case of Teresa, 57, an engineer with high blood pressure, an underactive thyroid and rheumatoid arthritis. She takes seven medicines prescribed by three different doctors and works long hours. Twice in the last three months she has run out of one of her tablets, and some mornings she is not sure whether she has taken her thyroid tablet.
Teresa does not need anyone to look after her; she needs less to do. She decides to try a prepared medication service: each week her doses are separated by day and time, her medication arrives at home and, when her rheumatologist changes a dose, the change is reflected in the next preparation. She still handles her weekly injection herself, as it cannot go in the blister pack.
How do you get started if you think it suits you?
If you recognised yourself in these signs, the first step is to have your up-to-date medication list to hand. Then you can contact IMA Health so we can explain how it would work for you. If staying independent matters most to you, you may also be interested in how having your medication in order helps.
Sources
- General Council of Official Colleges of Pharmacists: Good Practice in Community Pharmacy no. 14, SPD service (PDF, in Spanish)
- WHO: Failure to take prescribed medicine for chronic diseases is a massive, world-wide problem
- WHO: Medication Safety in Polypharmacy
This article is for information only and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist.