Transplant Institute
The Transplant Institute, part of the Department of Surgery, offers nationally recognized patient care, research programs, and education and training opportunities.
Medications After Organ Transplant
Tips for organizing, taking and traveling with your medicines
Contact Us
Manage Your Medicines to Reduce Post-Surgery Complications
After an organ transplant you must take several medications. Learning to manage them correctly is very important. When you take them exactly as prescribed, you help minimize the risk of complications such as rejection and infection.
When you leave the hospital, we provide you with a medication card. It lists the names of the medicines you’re taking, what doses you take and when you should take them. At your follow-up visits, your doctor and transplant nurse coordinator will review your medications and discuss any concerns you have, including side effects.
Because we sometimes adjust medications to help you achieve the best results with the fewest side effects, please bring your medication card to your follow-up visits. This will allow us to note any changes on your medication card.
General Medication Advice
Other important things to remember:
- Take your medications exactly as instructed.
- Make every effort to take your anti-rejection drugs, and your other medications, at the same time every day.
- If you miss a dose of your anti-rejection medicine or are unable to keep it down and aren’t sure what to do, call your transplant team.
- Do not use any OTC medicines, including vitamins and herbal remedies, without first checking with your doctor or nurse.
- Do not use alcohol, cocaine, heroin or marijuana. These substances may put your transplant at risk by damaging your new organ.
- Do not smoke. If you do smoke, take steps to quit.
- Keep your follow-up visits, and complete lab work or other tests your transplant team schedules.
Call your transplant team if you have any concerns about your medicines or even a slight change in your condition. The earlier you call, the sooner we can address any evolving medical situation.
You can reach us at 617-632-9700, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have an urgent issue or question after hours, please call the same number at any time. Our operator will connect you to the transplant coordinator on call. If necessary, the coordinator will put you in touch with the transplant physician or surgeon.
As a courtesy to our transplant nurse coordinators, please call for non-urgent issues, including prescription refills, during regular business hours. Our coordinators respond promptly, but we ask you to be patient. Our coordinators may be dealing with other emergencies.
More About Medications After Organ Transplant
Organizing Your Medications
Planning ahead may help you better manage your medicine regimen.
- Ask your transplant team to help set up your medicine times to fit your schedule.
- Set aside time on the same day each week to organize your medicines for the week ahead.
- To help you take your medicines as planned, use tools such as a pillbox with individual compartments labeled with the days of the week and/or time of day. If there are no children or grandchildren in your home, clear, plastic bags that are resealable may work well. You can label the bags with the days of the week and times of day. Just be sure to keep the bags where pets and children can’t get to them.
- Use an alarm clock, watch, smartphone or charts to remind you when to take your medicines.
- Keep track of how much medicine you have left. Don't ever let yourself run out and miss a dose.
- Mark your calendar so you remember to reorder your medications ahead of time. You also can ask your pharmacy if they offer automatic refill reminders.
- Consider asking a family member or friend to help you sort and reorder your pills.
- Keep your medication in a cool, dry place, out of the sun and extreme heat.
Taking Your Medications
You must take post-organ-transplant medications correctly for them to do their job.
- Shop around to find the best pharmacy unless your insurance company requires you to use a specific drugstore. Prices can vary, and you can save money if you compare prices at different stores.
- Try to buy all your medicines from the same pharmacy. Many pharmacies keep customer profiles that allow them to spot potential drug interactions if you take certain medications at the same time.
- Let your insurance company and transplant team know if you have trouble paying for your medicines. There may be assistance programs that can help.
- Carry your medication card with you in your wallet or purse. Share the card with your other doctors.
- Always check the directions on your medication bottle. Some medications must be refrigerated, especially liquid antibiotics.
- Swallow capsule and extended-release tablets whole; never crush, chew or open them. Taking these medications incorrectly can cause you to absorb a large dose too quickly.
- Never take immunosuppressive medications with grapefruit juice. Avoid eating whole grapefruit or drinking fruit juice blends or sodas that contain grapefruit juice with the pills.
- Talk with your pharmacist about any changes you notice in your medications. If any medicine changes odor or color, if it gets wet, or if it’s soft, sticky, hard or cracked (and it shouldn't be), it could have lost its effectiveness and should be replaced.
- Wear a Medic Alert® (or similar brand) bracelet or pendant that states you are a transplant recipient. If you take steroids, include that information in case you’re in an accident and someone finds you unconscious.
- Try shaving, waxing or hair removal (depilatory) products if you have unwanted hair growth related to your medications.
- Limit your sun exposure and always wear sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.
Traveling with Your Medications
If you plan to be away from home, there are several precautions you should take.
- Always keep extra doses of your medicine with you in case you miss a plane, train or bus or have some other delay getting home.
- Keep your pharmacy's phone number with you so you can contact them quickly if needed.
- Never pack your medications in your luggage; always carry them with you. When they’re out of sight, they may get lost or be exposed to temperatures that are too cold or too hot.
- Consider using a mail-order pharmacy if you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time.
- If traveling overseas, carry a letter (or prescription) from your doctor about your medicines in case you have any problems during a customs check. If you plan in advance, you may be able to fill your prescription in a pharmacy at your travel destination.
- Prevent infection. Wash your hands often and thoroughly, especially before eating. This is even more important the first few months after your transplant when you are taking higher doses of anti-rejection medication.
