How to remember to take your medications
By the HoraDose team · Updated October 9, 2026 · 3 min read
To remember a medication, the simplest way is to tie each dose to something you already do every day. Add a pill organizer, a reminder on your phone and a way to note what you have taken. And ask your pharmacist what to do if you miss a dose.
Why we forget
Forgetting a medication happens to everyone. It is more common when you take several, at different times. A day that breaks the routine — an appointment, a visit, a trip — is often enough to skip a dose.
The good news: a few simple habits help a great deal.
1. Tie the dose to something you do every day
Pick a moment that is already part of your daily routine: getting up, brushing your teeth, the evening meal. Take your medication at that moment, every day.
Check with your pharmacist first that this moment suits your medication. Some are taken with a meal, others away from meals.
2. Keep your medications somewhere you can see them
A fixed place, in plain view, helps you think of it. Follow the storage instructions on the box, such as heat or humidity: the bathroom is often too humid. Keep them out of the reach and sight of children. Take expired medications, or ones you no longer need, back to the pharmacy.
3. Use a pill organizer
A pill organizer with compartments, filled once a week, shows at a glance whether today’s dose has been taken. Some medications must stay in their original packaging: ask your pharmacist before putting them in a pill organizer. Many pharmacies can also prepare your medications in advance in blister packs, sometimes for a fee: ask yours.
4. Set a reminder
An alarm or a reminder app alerts you at the planned time. Choose a simple tool that you will actually open.
A reminder helps, but it does not do everything: a phone can be off, on silent or out of battery. Keep your habit and your pill organizer too.
5. Note what you have taken
The doubt “did I take it or not?” is common. Ticking a box, or confirming the dose in an app, helps you avoid taking it twice.
What if I missed a dose?
Each medication has its own instruction for a missed dose. Read the patient leaflet that comes with the medication, or call your pharmacist. Do not take an extra dose without talking to them first. If you took an extra dose by mistake, call your pharmacist or the poison control centre right away.
How HoraDose can help
HoraDose reminds you of every dose you schedule, according to your times and your meals. You confirm with one tap, and your history shows what was taken.
Try HoraDose now
The test version is free and open to everyone, on iPhone and Android. Choose your phone:
iPhone: If Apple asks, first install its free TestFlight app, then tap this button again.
Android: Tap “Become a tester”, then “Download it on Google Play”.
On a computer? Open horadose.com on your phone to install the app.