OnTimeRx is a GreatApp

Great News!  OnTimeRx has been listed on GreatApps.com and the exposure should help us get more users. 

It's all about numbers...  
In marketing software apps, downloads and good reviews are very important!  Attracting as many downloads as possible is like getting a good grade on a report card.   Thousands of downloads will have a major effect on overall success of any app.  With the huge number of simple timer/reminder apps out there, it can be difficult for a serious, multi-featured medication manager/reminder app, like OnTimeRx, to get noticed.   But we know it's especially important for people who need reliable pill reminders to find one that works well.

Good Reviews influence potential users to give OnTimeRx a serious try and the higher the number of those, the better.  

So if you've been thinking about how much you like using OnTimeRx, please take a minute or two...  put those thoughts together and post a review.  

Thanks to all for using OnTimeRx, and a  special thanks for the reviews so far.  Well-written reviews, as well as comments posted on this blog, will help us gain more credibility so we can add all the OnTimeRx enhancements users have requested that much sooner.   So keep those comments, reviews, and suggestions coming.   

Take care...

"2 for 1 Special"

Here's another Excellent question from a long-time OnTimeRx user. 

Question:  "I'm helping care for another person.  Is it possible to run 2 OnTimeRx apps on one phone?"

Very glad this multi-user question came up.  There is a workaround for using one OnTimeRx installation for more than one person, but now that we have Free and Paid versions, times have changed.  

Answer:  Interestingly enough, it is possible for a user to download both the Full (Free) version and the Paid version and run both apps on the same device.  

This approach actually offers an excellent solution for users who have to manage meds for more than one person.  Both apps (Free & Paid) will work together just fine.

Suggestion:  To keep things simple, be sure to select different alarm sounds to differentiate the two apps.  Also set alarm times that are 10 to 15 minutes apart to avoid confusion.  Other than that, there should be no problems... unless both users take so many meds that the alarms get to be excessive!  ;D

Take care!

Accounting for PRN doses

A long-time Palm user asked:   "Is there a way to set a time and account for PRN doses on the iPhone app?" 

Short answer - Yes.  

One example for this type of dosing.  A patient may have a sleep medication that can be taken at 9 PM, but only if and when the patient feels it's needed and wants to log it so the quantity on hand will be accurate.   
Here's a little workaround to handle this:    

1.  Set up a drug record for the PRN medication including the PillCount on hand. This number will decrease appropriately each time a dose is taken.

2.  Enter 9PM for the dose time then switch from Routine to PRN on the Schedule button.  This will gray out the Schedule and Repeat buttons, because it cancels any alarms.  However, a [Take] button will display for the drug on MyMeds. 

3. Set up a new drug record as a Task/event and call it  [Decide Now]. 

4. Set a Routine Daily alarm at 9PM (No need to enter a Pill Count here.  This is just a reminder to decide whether or not the drug is needed at 9PM).  Tap Yes to clear the alarm and indicate that you "Decided".   If none was needed, you're done.

5. If a dose was needed, click MyMeds and tap the [Take] button to log the dose and the pill count will decrease appropriately. 

The remaining Days Supply will display on MyMeds.  It's up to you to decide when it's time to refill a PRN prescription or replenish the supply of an Over-the-Counter drug.

MerckEngage for Patient Adherence

Everyone is working on patient adherence...  Everyone, that is, except the patient!   

Merck has joined the quest with a free, online resource which includes healthy recipes, ideas for getting fit, and practical planning tools for better health.  merckengage.com

 

Wouldn't it be great if Merck included OnTimeRx mobile apps in their "tool box"? 

Weekly Reminders & Log Corrections

A new OnTimeRx user asked:    

How do I schedule and log a weekly pain patch change? 

Answer:  

To set reminders to change the patch once a week:  Tap the Repeat button then tap on Daily (default) and select Weekly.  Then select the day of the week to change the patch. 

 

OnTimeRx tracks and logs medication usage, and displays compliance rates.  

When managing pain medications, it's especially important to track usage in order to have accurate compliance records. 

However, it isn't always possible to log the doses on time, and these doses will be automatically recorded as missed after 1 hour.  In order to maintain the log and keep accurate usage numbers, the log entries can be changed to correct any Missed (Late) doses.   

Tap the Log entry that displays an "M" and then tap the word Missed and select Changed.  Then set the approximate time the dose was actually taken.  (Minor difference = Android Log displays the corrected time, but the iPhone currently displays the original set dose time on the correct log entry.)

 This Log correction automatically recalculates your overall compliance rate and the rate for that specific drug.  It also recalculates the remaining Days Supply.

Ignore OnTimeRx Alarm Popups?

A New User wrote:  

"I  tried a few other apps and found OnTimeRx the best of the lot." 

My Reply: Always  pleased to hear that OTRx is “the best of the lot”!  

As a pharmacist, I’m passionate about adherence and we believe our software is a super solution, too.

User:  "I do not mind the ads unless they get in the way of some function buttons when they pop up.  I am in the habit of clicking on ads when using free programs to help the programmer make money.   Most of the pharmacy apps I’ve seen like Walgreens and CVS also advertise, and I understand that it’s the trade-off for using the program for free."

My Reply: This is true.  Ads have also provided a way to offer "free trials" and expose more users to our apps.  It's the way we have to do business these days.  

  
User:  "The pill time notifications can also be annoying when they come on right in the middle of doing something else, like texting.   and takes over my screen.  I always end up having to abort what I was working on, acknowledge the pill time notice and restart my previous activity.  The notices should be less intrusive."

My Reply:  Re: “annoying” pilltime popups… ;D  I hear you, but... It’s much too easy to ignore a less intrusive reminder and still forget to take the med.  We’ve found that “persistence pays off” and that’s why our alarms are more insistent.    You don’t actually have to stop what you’re doing and clear the alarms right then. 

User Tip:   Don’t tap the popup , just tap the phone's Back button to “ignore” the Dose Logging process.  

You’ll go back to the home screen and the OnTimeRx app will automatically alarm again in 15 min.  It's a feature that most of our users like a lot!  

I just tested this again to be sure…  and it works.  I was texting when my 7:30 alarm sounded.  Tapped Back then reopened my Text app and finished my msg. 

(BTW-  Tapping Back should take you back to the last open activity.  We’ll change this in our next revision…)

Variable Dosing Intervals

 New OnTimeRx owner inquiry:  

Question: 
I have a patch that needs to be replaced every 6 days.  Is there a way to schedule variable dosing intervals?   

Short answer:  Yes!  

Actually, that flexible dosing interval feature has been in all of our many versions since we first launched it for Palm back in 2000.

For every 6 days interval… Open the Repeat tab and change the Daily repeat from 1 to 6 for your patch scheduling needs. 

Join this blog or check back often to learn about other User Tips and Q/A posts as they are added.  Please don't hesitate to post comments here or contact us anytime at: Support@ontimerx.com with questions.  We'll do our best to respond quickly.

 

Logging Variable Doses

OnTimeRx user inquiry:

I recently downloaded your app OnTimeRx, and can't seem to find an option for a variable dosage schedule.  For example: several of my prescriptions are on an "as needed" (PRN) basis and on the directions it says I can take 1-2 pills depending on my needs at that time.
It would be very helpful, especially for logging purposes, to specify whether I took one or two, so I could look at my log and know with total accuracy what I've taken on any given day.

Tech Support response:  

Thanks for the excellent suggestion.   This enhancement will be added to our “Wish List” and will be given full consideration for a future upgrade.   The current versions of OnTimeRx do not currently have this feature/capability, but it is desirable information to track, especially for the many patients who have to manage “serious” PRN meds. 

Things are handled a little differently on the two platforms - iOS and Android, but basically the same logic is used on both.

Suggested Solution/Workaround:

1. Enter two separate drug records for the different doses of the same medication.  (Example:  Aleve-1tab and Aleve-2tabs)  
2. Toggle the Schedule from Routine to PRN. 
3. When you need to take a dose, select the appropriate drug-dose from MyMeds and use Take Now button to log it.   (Example: Aleve-2tabs will display on the Log record on this date/time.) 
4. Divide your pill count 1/3 and 2/3 between these 2 records so each dose taken will count down appropriately.  MyMeds display will give you a rough idea how many days supply you have left for those 2 entries.

Hope this helps for the time being.  Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and suggestions.  User input is very helpful and always welcome.

Using iPhone Notifications

When an OnTimeRx alarm goes off, there will be a special OnTimeRx Notification at the top of the screen.  (You may have Notifications set up differently on your iPhone or iPad.  

Simply pull the notifications stack down to see when the dose or doses were due.  (Now, 15 min ago, 30 min ago, etc.) Here's a really slick trick...  Tap anywhere on the notification stack and the display jumps to the OnTimeRx PillTime display.  

"Take" buttons are only displayed on the doses that are currently due or are within the 2 hour dosing window.  Simply tap each Take button to log that dose as taken and the button goes away.  

You can take all or part of the doses at that time.  Depending on what you're doing at the scheduled alarm time, it may not be convenient to take certain meds right then.  For example, oral meds can be taken quickly, but you may want to delay logging eye drops until after you wash your hands. 

 If you missed the first alarm, No worries, there will be additional reminders for the remaining doses. We know it's not always possible to hear the alarm when it goes off the first time.  And if that's the only alert you get, it's simply too easy to forget to take the dose with just one reminder. That's why we built in multiple reminders for each dose.  There will be a 1st, 2nd or 3rd reminder - just in case.  Persistence pays off - especially when it comes to managing your medications.  


There is a limit to the number of notifications (set by Apple), and you don't need the notifications after the doses have been taken and logged. It's a good idea to pull down the Notifications stack and tap Clear to remove the stack. 

Let me know which type of notifications set up you prefer and why.  I like the pull-down stack myself. 

Turn OFF the Alarms!

QUESTION: How can I turn off the alarms?  

A new user said he didn't need reminders, he just wanted a list of his medications (brand and generic names) for quick reference.

Well...  I NEVER mute my alarms – except for 2 or 3 hours at movies and plays,  OnTimeRx reminders are the main reason for using this app, but... people come up with lots of different ways to use any tool, and OnTimeRx can accomodate most of them quite nicely. 

911 Info (Read only) is a great way to store and display a Brand/generic Meds list.  Go to Settings and tap the Edit 911 button to enter or edit data.  

Copy your Meds list from a document or email and simply Paste it into 911
under Current Medications.  (This may take a try or two… Copy and Paste is a little tricky on some phones.) 

ANSWER:  To turn alarms OFF...
 
You can go into Settings and select Mute ON to silence all OnTimeRx alarms for 1 hour, 2 hours, or 3 hours.  Save the selection and the alarms will resume at the end of that time period.  We don't recommend turning off alarms permanently because it defeats the purpose of our app, but...

You can have “silence” another way… Go into each drug record and update your
Repeat setting to eliminate the alarms (or don’t set a Repeat on new drug records).

1.       Tap the Repeat button and tap Daily

2.       Scroll down and change it to None - tap Done. (With No Repeat, the checkmark
goes away).

3.       This also removes this drug and its reminder alarms from the PillTime schedule, but It will still be listed in MyMeds.

4.       You can also tap Repeat and set an End date - for today or yesterday.  The
drug will not be on PillTime but will still be listed on MyMeds.

5.       You can also tap Schedule and change from Routine to PRN – (the
drug will then be listed in regular font on MyMeds).

If you want to use the PillTime alarms in the future,  just reverse Step #2 and/or #4 in the process.

 We’re always happy to help new users learn their way around our app and seasoned users may learn a new trick or two. . 

If you would… please post a nice review – tohelps us build credibility. 

How to Delete a Med - iOS

A new iPhone user asked: "How do I delete a drug from MyMeds?"

Answer:

Simply swipe the drug name (L to R) and a Delete button magically appears.

FYI- I wouldn't have known to do that myself either, but my developer says

this is the conventional iOS  method for data deletions.  Who knew...?

You may want to keep a drug record on your Meds list for future reference.  instead of Deleting it, here's a couple of ways you can stop the alarms.

1. Set an end date in Repeats. This is especially useful for time-limited drugs like antibiotics.  Since you might use that same antibiotic again sometime, make that drug record "go to sleep".

Edit the Drug Name like so: (ZZZ-Azithromycin) and it will drop to the bottom of the alphabetical list.  You can also use Notes & Directions to record symptoms (why you took it) or allergies (why you stopped it).

2. Change the Schedule from Routine to PRN

The drug will display in a regular font on MyMeds and the alarms will stop.

You'll see a Take button on MyMeds, and that's so you can Take a dose as needed.

(There's No check mark on Schedule and Repeat is grayed out).

Please don't hesitate to send other questions.  We post these on our User Tips Blog (see link in About on our app). This helps other users who may have the same questions or concerns.

If you like using OTRx or found this blog item useful, please post a comment or post it as a review.  Thanks again for using OnTimeRx and helping us make it better.