Having trouble sticking to your medication routine? You’re not alone. In fact, studies show about 75% of Americans have trouble taking their prescriptions as directed. 

Whether you have a chronic condition like high blood pressure or a short-term prescription for antibiotics after a procedure, taking your meds on time, every time, can be a challenge. Read on to learn why it’s important to stick to a routine, plus nine creative ways to remember to take your medication from Nice’s own Denise Cantwell, a practicing pharmacist of 12 years and a manager for some of our clinicians.

Why Do I Forget to Take My Medication?

It’s crucial to take the right dose of your medication at the right time–in the right way–to keep your condition under control. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), not taking medication as prescribed is the reason 30-50% of treatment plans for chronic diseases don’t result in positive outcomes each year. But you can create a routine that works for you and keep your health on track. 

Before we get into the recommendations on consistently taking your medications, it's important to understand why you may be struggling to stick to your routine. Some reasons can include:

1. How many times a day it’s prescribed. More doses mean more opportunities to forget while you’re going about your daily life. 

2. Too many pills. If you take multiple medications with different dosing schedules–and/or if you have to take some with food and some without–it can be challenging to keep them all straight. 

3. Side effects. If you experience side effects, such as dizziness when you take your medication, you may struggle to take it as directed.

4. Needing to take medication in the morning without food. If you have to take your medication without food, it might be a challenge taking it three to four hours prior to breakfast–especially if you wake up hungry. 

5. Cost. For some people, it’s more a matter of the cost of medication than remembering to take it. Which is understandable, since the average medication price increased $150 per drug from 2021 to 2022. 

No matter why you're struggling to stick to your medication routine, it’s important to have an honest conversation with your healthcare provider about it. They’re here to help you come up with different strategies, manage any side effects, or navigate other roadblocks to taking your medicine properly. 

How to Remember to Take Medicine Regularly

Try these strategies for creating a medication schedule that works for you.

1 - Use a pill box. 

Pill boxes are containers that help you organize your medication for a certain length of time. They come in a variety of options, with anywhere from seven to 56 individual containers for multiple daily medication doses. Once a container’s empty, you know you’ve taken your pills–so this can help keep you on track. 

2 - Keep meds visible or at your desk at work. 

Of course, if you have small children, you’ll want to keep medications out of reach. But if there’s a safe place you can keep your meds–by your toothbrush or on your desk at work–seeing it will jog your memory. 

3 - Flip the bottle upside down after you’ve taken it.

A visual cue like flipping the bottle upside down after you’ve taken your medicine can help you remember you’ve taken your dose. 

4 - Use a calendar.

If you’re a visual person, get a calendar and check off each day after you’ve taken your dose. You can even make a more elaborate schedule to track multiple medicines at different times of the day.

5 - Combine taking medication with another daily task.

Attach taking your medicine to another activity you’re already doing consistently, such as brushing your teeth or making dinner. (Just make sure that, if you need to take medication without food, you allow time for this.) 

6 - Use an Rx timer cap. 

Another great tool is a special medicine bottle cap with a timer that “dings” when it’s time to take your meds. You can set the timer for whatever frequency you need. Some popular varieties are TimerCap and e-Pill.

7 - Use a medication reminder app.

A number of smartphone apps like Care4Today, CareZone, or Genie MD will not only remind you when to take your medications, but let you know when refills are due. 

8 - Give yourself a healthy reward.

Try giving yourself a healthy but gratifying reward–such as taking a nice walk with a friend, your family, or dog, or playing your favorite game for a few minutes. Studies show that every habit contains a three-part loop: a cue, a behavior, and a reward. The “reward” represents what you get out of the behavior. So getting a nice treat every time you take your meds can help you hardwire your medication schedule into your brain. 

9 - Talk to your healthcare provider.

Healthcare’s a collaborative effort, and your healthcare provider is there to help you. Talk to your clinician about strategies that can make it easier to take your medications as prescribed. 

If you miss a dose or two, don't beat yourself up. As you may know, it can take 21 days or longer to build a new habit, according to various studies–so be patient with yourself. If you need additional support, talk to your healthcare provider for ideas on maintaining your medications. 

Create a Medication Routine That Works For You with Nice

We know it can be difficult to manage your medications–even short-term. But at Nice, our clinicians are here to help. 

Discussing your medication routine concerns–and any other health issue–is as easy as opening the Nice app and using the chat, or scheduling a virtual visit, often within the same day. And if cost is a factor, Nice offers free virtual and at-home visits–plus, 550+ medications are completely free.

If you’re an employer who’s interested in how Nice can help your employees manage their medications and health concerns conveniently and affordably, visit our employer page.