Printable pill calendar: a weekly medication chart with tick boxes

How to use the pill calendar

1. Press “Add a row” and type the name of a medicine or vitamin.
2. Enter the dose as it appears on the pack: 5 mg, 1 tablet, 2 drops.
3. Add a note: “empty stomach”, “with food”, “30 minutes before breakfast”.
4. Choose the time: morning, midday, evening or bedtime. One medicine can go in several slots.
5. Press “Print the calendar” and put the sheet where you’ll definitely see it.
6. Tick the box straight after each dose, not “later”.

The calendar is stored only in your browser. It won’t appear on another device, so keep the printout handy. If you’re setting it up for your mum or dad, print a copy for them and one for yourself.

Tips for remembering your medicines

A tablet is easier to remember when it’s tied to something you already do every day.

• Link it to a routine. Morning tablets go with the first cup of tea, evening ones with brushing your teeth. Store the medicines themselves in a cool cupboard, though, not next to the kettle.
• Same time every day. A fixed routine is easier to keep than “whenever I remember”.
• A weekly organiser. MedlinePlus describes organisers for 7, 14 or 28 days, with sections for morning, midday, evening and bedtime.
• A phone reminder or an automatic dispenser with a sound and a light.
• Repeat prescriptions. Mark on the calendar when a pack will run out so you can order in time.

What to do if you miss a dose

The exact rule depends on the medicine. The NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service says to start with the patient leaflet: the “How to take” section usually explains what to do after a missed dose. General pointers:

• if the leaflet doesn’t help, take a once- or twice-daily medicine when you remember, unless the next dose is due within a few hours; then skip the missed one;
• never take a double dose to catch up unless your prescriber has said so;
• for anticoagulants, insulin, epilepsy and Parkinson’s medicines, agree a plan with the clinic or team that prescribes them;
• if you’re unsure, ring your pharmacist.

Vitamins are simpler: a missed day of vitamin D or B12 doesn’t need a double portion tomorrow. Just carry on as usual.

Pick what happened to see the usual next step:

If you’ve taken an extra tablet and feel unwell, call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency (112 elsewhere in Europe).

Pill organiser or pill calendar?

A pair works best: an organiser for anything that can be decanted, and a calendar for everything, including medicines that stay in their original packs. One person should fill the organiser, at the same time each week, say on Sunday evening.

A pill calendar for your parents

If you’re filling in the calendar for your mum or dad, start with a medicines list for the GP and have it reviewed, so the chart only holds what they really need. Then:

• write names as they appear on the pack, in full;
• use the note to describe the tablet if several look alike;
• put the sheet somewhere visible, while the medicines stay in a cupboard;
• once a week, ask about empty boxes without blame: a missed dose is a reason to simplify the routine, not to argue.

More on helping with medicines in our guide to vitamins for elderly parents.

Storing your tablets

• Somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sunlight; not in the bathroom or above the cooker.
• In the original packaging, unless the tablet is in this week’s organiser.
• Out of reach of children and pets.
• Take out-of-date medicines back to the pharmacy, not in the bin or down the toilet.

How to choose a pill organiser on iHerb

1. Count how many times a day you take medicines: that sets the number of sections.
2. Choose compartments big enough for your largest capsules.
3. Check the lids are easy to open, especially if your joints are stiff.
4. Put every supplement on the chart, and everything you take on your medicines list for the GP.
5. Before adding new supplements, read which vitamins you need over 50 and check our vitamin compatibility chart. If tablets are hard to swallow, see trouble swallowing pills.