How to Set Medicine Reminders That Actually Ring

To set medicine reminders that actually ring, add each medicine to the Medicine Reminder exactly as it's written on your prescription, pick the times, then press Add to my phone's calendar and open the file on your phone. The page beeps while it's open, and your phone's calendar rings at every dose time even when the browser is closed.

It only reminds you about what your doctor prescribed. It never suggests or checks medicines, and everything, including the photo of your prescription, stays on your device.

Step 1: copy the prescription, not your memory

Have the prescription or the box in front of you and copy:

• The name as printed, including the strength (500 mg, 5 mg/5 ml).
• How much each time: 1 tablet, 2 puffs, 5 ml.
• The times: morning, afternoon, evening, bedtime, or your own. "Twice a day" usually means about 12 hours apart, say 08:00 and 20:00, but ask the pharmacist if you're not sure.
• Food: with food, before food or after food, if the label says so.
• Which days: every day, certain days of the week (a weekly tablet), or every few days.
• End date for a course, like 7 days of antibiotics, so the reminders stop on their own.

If you want a refill warning, type how many are left and the number at which you want to be told.

Step 2: keep the prescription with it

Press Take a picture to photograph the prescription, or upload a photo or PDF you already have. You can also attach a photo of each box to its medicine, which helps when you're helping a parent who has several similar-looking packs.

Printed text can be read straight off the photo to fill in names. Handwriting usually can't, so always check what you typed against the prescription itself.

Step 3: make it ring

A web page can only make a sound while it's open, and phones put background tabs to sleep. So there are two layers:

1. Turn on alerts on the page. While it's open you get a beep, a vibration and a notification at each dose time, plus a banner with Taken, Snooze 10 min and Skip.
2. Add to my phone's calendar. The file has one repeating event per dose time, each with an alarm. On an iPhone, open it and tap Add All. On Android, open it with Google Calendar (or import it at calendar.google.com).

If you change a medicine later, delete the old calendar events and add the new file.

Step 4: tick doses off

When a dose comes up, press Taken. The Today list shows what's next and what's been missed, and the last 7 days show how you're doing. If you press Taken by mistake, press Undo.

Missed a dose? The tool marks it but won't tell you what to do, because the answer depends on the medicine. The leaflet says, and your pharmacist can tell you in a minute.

For the whole family

When you add a medicine, choose Someone else and type a name, like Mum or Ali. You can see everyone's doses together or just one person's.

Tips that make reminders stick

• Tie doses to something you already do. Put the morning dose at breakfast time and the evening one at dinner, rather than a random minute.
• Use Snooze, not Skip, when you're busy. Snooze rings again in 10 minutes; Skip means you've decided not to take it.
• Keep the box where the alarm finds you. A reminder in the kitchen doesn't help if the tablets are in the bedroom.
• Review the list after every appointment. Doctors change doses; delete what's stopped and update what's changed the same day.

Moving to a new phone

Your list lives only in this browser. Press Export backup to download a file with your medicines and photos, and Import backup on the new phone. Keep that file private: it contains your medicines.