Your pharmacist can now hand you a package of pills made to meet your personal daily prescription requirements.

(NAPSA)-For many of the more than 150 million Americans who take more than one prescription medication daily, life may be about to change for the better.

That's because a new kind of prescription packaging can help consumers take the right medications at the right time, every time.

How It Works

The pharmacist prepares multiple prescription or over-the-counter medication doses in a sealed, clear plastic packet, custom printed with the patient's name; the names of the medications, their strengths and appearances; dosing time; and other details.

The packages come in strips with all doses for a given time period (e.g., 30 days or 90 days), perforated for easy tear-off and arthritic approved for easy opening.

Free Sample

Called onePAC, the packaging is available using technology from Parata Systems at pharmacies across the United States and Canada. You can request a free sample at www.myonepac.org or 1-888-onepac1 (663-7221).

What Else To Do-And Don't

In addition to considering new packaging options like onePAC, here are some other valuable do's and don'ts when it comes to taking your medications correctly:

¥ Four in 10 (43 percent) older Americans have been prescribed medications by more than one physician. Make sure you communicate to your pharmacist all the drugs you are taking.

¥ According to the World Health Organization, only about 50 percent of patients typically take their medicines as prescribed. Be sure you talk with your pharmacist and understand how to take all your prescriptions.

¥ Nearly one in three customers didn't fill all their new prescriptions in the past year, according to Wilson Research. Be sure to get refills filled.

¥ One in five respondents believe pharmacies help them remember to take medications as recommended. Choose your pharmacy for the care you receive, not for how quickly you can get in and out.