Key takeaways
- Vials need more bookkeeping than pens: strength, volume, what was added, what has been drawn.
- Reko tracks what is left in each vial and counts it down as you log.
- The reconstitution calculator shows the syringe units for the dose you chose. It does not choose the dose.
- This article is about tracking. It does not cover where to get medication or what to take.
Why vials are harder to keep track of
Some medications come in a pen that counts for you. Others come in a vial, and some of those arrive as a powder. You may need to add liquid, draw with a syringe, and use the vial over several doses.
That means more facts to hold in your head: how much is in the vial, how much liquid went in, how much has been drawn so far, and what remains. A small slip in any of them can make the next dose look different from the last.
Where vials come from
Vials can come from different kinds of supply. Some are made by a manufacturer. Some are prepared by a pharmacy for an individual patient, which is called compounding. Labels, strengths and volumes differ between them.
Reko does not judge, recommend or sell any source. Whatever you have been prescribed or told to use, the record works the same way: you enter what is on your vial, and Reko keeps the count. Questions about a product, its quality or its legal status are for your prescriber and your pharmacist. You can read the current rules from [regulator page, for example FDA compounding guidance: add URL].
What Reko keeps for each vial
- The amount of the substance in the vial.
- The liquid added, when the vial was mixed.
- Each dose drawn from it, linked to your dose log.
- What is left, counted down as you log.
The reconstitution calculator
Enter what is in the vial and the liquid you add. Choose the dose you and your prescriber settled on. The calculator shows the number of units to draw on your syringe.
It also warns you when a draw falls between two markings on the syringe. A mark you cannot read exactly is where mistakes tend to start, so the warning is there to make you stop and look again. Check every result against your prescriber's instructions and your own label.
Pens as well
If you use a pen with clicks, the pen calculator helps you count them for a dose.
A simple routine
- Add the vial the day it arrives, copying the numbers from the label.
- Record the date you mix it.
- Log each dose as you take it.
- Look at what is left before you plan your next order.
- Correct any entry if you got it wrong. Doses can be changed on any date.
Open the vial tracker page or see the free tools.
Reko records what you decide. It does not suggest a dose and it is not medical advice.
- [Regulator guidance on compounded medication: add URL and title]
- [Product label for your medication: add DailyMed URL]