A growing number of cancer treatments are now daily tablets. Tamoxifen, letrozole and anastrozole are often taken for five years or more after breast cancer, and imatinib is taken every day for chronic myeloid leukaemia. That makes routine and supply just as important as the medicine itself.
Build a simple routine: take your tablet at the same time each day, keep a pill organiser, and set an alarm. If you miss a dose, follow your leaflet and never take two at once. Weekly methotrexate is the exception: for arthritis and psoriasis it is taken once a week, not daily.
To read more about day-to-day life on treatment, see this patient-friendly guide walks through the essentials.
Common side effects: hot flushes, joint stiffness and tiredness are common with hormone tablets. Letrozole and anastrozole can reduce bone density, so many people have bone scans and regular letrozole price check-ups. Report chest pain, sudden breathlessness, leg swelling or unusual bleeding straight away.
Plan your supply. Reorder when you still have two or three weeks of tablets left, so a delay never causes a gap. Generic versions contain the same active ingredient as the brands and usually cost far less. A valid prescription is required for every order of a prescription medicine.
You can read more in this article.
This is general information, not medical advice. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any medicine.