Up until now, I've been using a sticky note in Google Keep to keep track of my medication. But as more medications have been added to my treatment regimen, while others have been discontinued, this method has proved insufficient.

After my latest doctor's appointment, I decided to create a Notion page to keep track of my extensive list of medications. And best of all, I was able to create it while using Notion's free plan.

Why didn't I use an existing template?

They weren't suited to my needs

There are a number of free templates on Notion that you can use to track your medications. So why didn't I use one of these templates to set up my own medication tracking, especially when I suggest templates as one of the ways to make Notion less overwhelming?

None of the current templates suited my needs, or they packed in too many features for me to use them effectively. I can easily get information overload, so having too many items on my medication tracking page would make me more likely to use it less.

As a result, I decided to build my Notion page from scratch. This did come with some drawbacks — it can be more time-consuming to create a page from scratch. Also, the free Notion plan doesn't include automation. But with templates that have built-in automation, you can use these rules for free. However, you can't edit the automation rules.

Weighing up the pros and cons, though, I decided to take the extra time to set up a medication tracker that was suited to my needs, without irrelevant sections.

How I set up my medication tracker

I started with a blank database

Databases are a powerful Notion feature that allows you to sync data across different pages. While you could technically create a normal table on the platform, this wouldn't be as responsive as a database and wouldn't allow you to visualize your data in a number of ways.

For my various header fields, I added a field for Medication name, Dose, Status, and Side effects. For the Status column, I used a Select field, which allows you to categorize items according to certain criteria. The options I created were Active, Discontinued, and No longer available. I also created a Multi-select field (which allows you to apply multiple categories) so that I could include the conditions that the medications aim to treat.

I filled this database with all the medications in my Google Keep notes, as well as additional medications I remember taking over the years. This database served as my main building block for my medication tracking page.

Adding my new database to a new page

Setting up a page for my current and future databases

I wanted to include various sections that would allow me to view different aspects of my medication and its status. While I could add additional views for my database, I couldn't add dividers and new headings.

So I created a new page that would essentially be the main canvas for my medication tracking. I split this into three sections: the main list, Reasons for discontinuation, and Active medication effectiveness. I then added the database as an inline database.

I added a number of different views to the first section, which included the main table for my database. I added a Gallery view and a Chart view. The Gallery view shows card previews of each medication (with each medication name being linked to its own page in Notion). The Chart view gives a quick overview of how many Active and Discontinued medications I have.

Setting up different database views with filters

A way to emulate automation

Although I don't have access to automation as part of my free Notion plan, I was able to emulate it through the use of filters. For each instance of my database, I hid and showed different columns to help me read through my items more easily. For example, the Reasons for discontinuation section on my page only showed columns for Medication, Condition, and Reasons for discontinuation.

But how would I hide items that are categorized in a particular way? This is where filters come in. I was able to add another copy of my main database, filter according to a category, and then hide or show certain columns.

When I update my main database by adding a new item (such as a new medication), the filtered tables in the other sections update with the new item. For example, when I added magnesium glycinate as another medication set to Active, the Active medication effectiveness section updated with the new item, while it was left out of my Reasons for discontinuation section. It took me a while to figure out that I could filter and hide data, but it's definitely one of the most underrated Notion features, in my opinion.

I now have a simple template for medication tracking that automatically updates with new data. I plan to flesh out the template a bit more by adding descriptions to each medication's linked page, as well as adding cards for prescribing doctors. But for my main need — keeping track of my medication over the years — I now have a fully functional way to keep tabs on everything.

Notion has plenty of use cases

Some people migrate their entire life into Notion, but I mainly use it for tracking my expenses (and now tracking my medication). I'd argue that the database function in Notion is one of its most powerful features. If you have a particular personal project you want to monitor, consider creating a way to keep track of it in Notion.