How to remember to take your pills on time

Why pills get forgotten

It's rarely carelessness; it's routine. Your schedule shifts one day, the alarm rings at a bad moment, you silence it, and later you can't remember whether you took it.

Three things help:

• One alarm per dose, not one per day.
• Snoozing it for a few minutes instead of turning it off.
• Marking each dose as taken, so you're never left wondering.

Step by step with FamilyMeds

1. Install FamilyMeds and add your profileSign in with Google or your email (on iPhone, also with Apple) and add yourself in the Family tab.
2. Add each medication with its timesTap Add medication, enter the name and dose, and choose the frequency: Daily, Specific days or Every X hours. If you take it three times a day, set three times, such as 8 AM, 2 PM and 8 PM.
3. Allow notificationsAccept notifications when the app asks. On Android, also turn on exact alarms if the app suggests it: without that permission a reminder can be several minutes late.
4. Answer when it ringsFrom the notification, tap Taken or snooze it. In Profile › Snooze dose you choose how many minutes.
5. Look at HistoryHistory shows the percentage of doses you took over the last 7, 30 or 90 days, so you can see how you're really doing.

If you'd rather use your phone's alarm

For a single pill a day, your phone's clock alarm is enough: name it after the medication and repeat it every day. It falls short when there are several doses, when the days vary, or when you need to know whether you already took it.

Good to know

• Medications marked As needed stay on your list, with no reminder.
• The free plan never expires and has no ads: 2 profiles with up to 5 medications each.
• FamilyMeds does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist: it reminds and records; it doesn't tell you what to take.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best way to remember to take my medication?

An alarm at the exact time of each dose, plus a record of what you've already taken. Tying the dose to something you do every day, like breakfast, helps too.

Can I set several reminders a day for the same medication?

Yes. In FamilyMeds each medication can have several times a day, and each one rings separately.

What if I can't take it right then?

Snooze the reminder from the notification and it will ring again in a few minutes. The dose stays pending on the Today screen until you mark it.

Is FamilyMeds free?

Yes: 2 profiles with up to 5 medications each, with reminders, the Today screen, history, alerts and stock tracking, no ads and no expiry date. FamilyMeds Pro adds unlimited profiles and medications.