Making Sure to Take Medications at the Right Time
Getting on medications is pretty straightforward. You’re prescribed medications, where you take them at specific moments throughout the day to help you cope, prevent or recover from illnesses or conditions you might have.
But you’d be surprised to find that over 50% of patients fail to take their medications as prescribed. There are many causes for this, but one of the biggest reasons is due to patient-related factors, where the patient fails to follow the instructions that their physicians provide — taking the right number of pills at the right time being the most prominent issue.
Maintaining and managing the correct medication schedule is important.
Whether it's high blood pressure, chronic pain, diabetes, or even birth control, taking your medications at the right time can prove to be critical.
What is a medication/pill reminder app?
A medication reminder app, also known as a pill reminder app or health app, is a digital tool designed to help individuals manage their medication schedules effectively and allows users to set up customized reminders to help them manage their medication adherence.
These apps typically offer features such as customizable alarm notifications to remind users when it's time to take their medications, dosage tracking to ensure the correct amount is taken, and the ability to log medication intake history for future reference.
Some apps also provide additional functionalities like refill reminders, drug interaction warnings, and the option to share medication schedules with healthcare providers or family members.
By utilizing these features, users can maintain adherence to their prescribed medication regimens, thereby improving health outcomes and reducing the risk of missed doses.
How are medication reminders making a difference?
To help ensure that patients are taking medications correctly, a number of medication/pill reminder apps have become available, that you can simply download and begin using on your smartphone.
These pill reminder apps are making a significant difference by enhancing medication adherence and providing peace of mind to users.
What medication reminders offer:
- They deliver personalized and timely reminders.
- They help prevent missed doses which can be crucial for the effectiveness of many treatments.
- They track medication history that users and healthcare providers can monitor for adherence.
- They help caregivers and doctors make adjustments to treatment plans if the current plan isn’t a good fit.
Additionally, some of these medication reminders come with medication checkers that check for drug interactions and alert users of adverse effects of mixing multiple medications.
This technology bridges the gap between patients and their healthcare plans, ultimately supporting better outcomes and reducing the risk of complications caused by non-adherence.
Is a medication reminder app right for me?
Medication reminder apps are great and can make a world of difference for patient health, but it’s not a solution for all users.
These apps are particularly useful for individuals who have complex medication schedules, those who tend to forget to take their medications, or anyone who wants to streamline their medication management process.
However, medication reminder apps do require a level of familiarity with tech.
More specifically, they’re helpful for users who tend to have their smartphones with them throughout the day, and are comfortable using apps to automate their daily tasks.
For an individual that isn’t as tech-savvy or have cognitive impairments that prevent them from manually operating a smartphone, a medication reminder app may not be as effective unless there's a caregiver involved who can manage the app on their behalf.
What is the best medication reminder app available in 2024?
There’s a growing number of medication/pill reminder apps available for download on smartphones, and trying to find one can become a daunting task with so many options.
To help make it easier for you to find the best app to help you keep track of your medication schedule, we’ve put together a list of the top 5 medication/pill reminder apps that are available in 2024.
- Pillo - A.K.A. The Angry Pill Box
- Medisafe
- MyTherapy
- MedMinder
- Dosecast
Let’s take a closer to look to see how each app can add value to your medication management.
A list of the best medication/pill reminder apps:
Key Highlights:
- Free access to some of its main features such as drug interaction checker and timers.
- Personalized and customizable reminders for even the most complex medication schedules.
- Simple-to-use user interface making it accessible for users of all ages.
- Persistent reminders to ensure medications are taken on time every time.
Pillo is a user-friendly medication reminder app designed for android devices, to help individuals manage their medication schedules with ease and efficiency.
The app is nicknamed “The Angry Pill Box” as it features a cute angry mascot that persistently reminds its users to take their medications correctly and on time.
Pillo comes with a highly customizable push notification system and a detailed logging system for medication intake, allowing users to set specific reminders tailored to their medication regimens no matter how complicated the medication schedules are.
Users can input detailed medication information, including dosage, frequency, and special instructions, ensuring that they never miss a dose.
The app also comes with a tracking system that logs medication intake, which users can review to monitor their adherence over time. The app even reminds users to refill and restock medication, and keeps records of all activities so you can share the information with your healthcare provider.
Additionally, Pillo offers a medication interaction checker that alerts users of potential adverse interactions between their different prescribed drugs, adding an extra layer of safety not always found in other apps.
It also comes with a set of extra features designed specifically for caregivers and dependents to help them stay involved and informed, making it a truly unique management tool among others.
Its intuitive interface makes it accessible for users of all ages, and its ability to synchronize with other devices ensures that medication reminders are always at hand, whether users are at home or on the go.
This particular pill reminder distinguishes itself from other medication reminder apps with it’s simple-to-use design, paired with features that allow users to set up some of the most complex and detailed medication schedules.
Overall, Pillo provides a comprehensive solution for anyone looking to enhance their medication routine.
Key Highlights:
- Available on both iOS and Android devices.
- Customizable reminders that can be shared with family members and caregivers.
- Health tracking capabilities to track blood glucose and blood pressure.
- Social support features that gets caregivers involved in the medication management.
Medisafe is a medication reminder app (available on iOS and android devices) that offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to ensure users adhere to their prescribed medication schedules, and to track their medication history.
The app provides personalized medication schedules and customizable reminders, which can be shared with family members or caregivers.
Additionally, Medisafe includes a medication interaction checker, similar to Angry Pill Box, alerting users to potential drug interactions.
It also offers health tracking capabilities, allowing users to monitor various aspects of their health, such as blood glucose levels or blood pressure, alongside their medication intake.
Compared to other apps, Medisafe excels in providing a holistic approach to medication management by integrating health tracking and social support features, making it a great choice for those seeking a well-rounded management tool.
Key Highlights:
- Medication and health tracking features to provide a comprehensive management tool.
- Health journal and activity tracker to manage more than just medications.
- Medication and activity history allowing users to share health data with doctors and caregivers.
- User-friendly interface making it easy to set up medication schedules.
MyTherapy is another versatile medication reminder app that combines medication management with health tracking features to offer a comprehensive health management tool. It's currently available on both iOS and Android and can be downloaded directly onto your phone.
The app stands out by not only as a medication reminder, MyTherapy incorporates a health journal and activity tracker, allowing users to log their daily health data, such as as symptoms, blood pressure, mood, and even physical activity.
This integrated approach enables users to monitor their overall well-being alongside their medication intake, and allows users to share this information with their doctors and caregivers.
MyTherapy also supports team collaboration by allowing users to share their health data with healthcare providers and family members, ensuring a supportive network for medication adherence.
The app comes with a user-friendly interface making it easy for users to navigate and customize their medication schedules.
MyTherapy stands out from other medication reminder apps by offering a health management solution that caters to both medication adherence and broader health tracking, making it an ideal choice for users looking to manage their overall health and create healthy habits.
Key Highlights:
- Integrates with a physical pill dispensing device to ensure medication is taken correctly.
- Alerts users and caregivers of missed doses and helps with timely intervention.
- Beneficial for elderly users or those with cognitive impairments.
- Combines both digital and physical reminders for a comprehensive pill management solution.
MedMinder is an innovative medication reminder app that leverages smart pill dispensers to enhance medication adherence and simplify the management of complex medication schedules.
Unlike traditional medication reminder apps, MedMinder integrates with a physical device that's provides as part of their service, that dispenses only the correct doses at the scheduled times, providing an added layer of security and assurance for users and caregivers.
The app is designed to alert users and their caregivers if a dose is missed, ensuring timely intervention.
MedMinder also features remote monitoring capabilities, allowing family members or healthcare providers to track medication adherence and receive notifications without needing to be physically present.
This makes MedMinder particularly beneficial for elderly users or individuals with cognitive impairments who may struggle with traditional app-based reminders.
By combining digital reminders with a physical dispensing solution, MedMinder stands out as an all-in-one tool that not only reminds users to take their medications but also physically aids in the process, reducing the risk of non-adherence and enhancing user safety.
Key Highlights:
- Customizable reminders based on unique and complex dosing schedules.
- Can be used both online and offline ensuring medication adherence anywhere.
- Detailed medication log that can be reviewed or shared with doctors or caregivers.
- A flexible medication management solution for those always on the move.
Dosecast is a robust medication reminder app that offers a wide array of features to ensure users maintain strict adherence to their schedules.
One of the key features of Dosecast is its flexibility in scheduling, allowing users to customize reminders based on their unique medication needs, including complex dosing schedules that may vary from day to day.
Different from other apps, Dosecast does not require an internet connection to set medication reminders, making it reliable even in areas with limited connectivity.
It even provides a secure backup option to keep all medication data safe and easily retrievable in case of device loss or change.
Dosecast also offers options for tracking medication adherence, creating a detailed log that users can review or share with healthcare providers.
It even comes with multi-device support allowing those on the paid subscription to keep drug database up-to-date on multiple devices like your smart watch or tablet.
What sets Dosecast apart from other medication reminder apps is its offline functionality and high level of customization, ensuring that users can rely on it under various circumstances and tailor it to fit their specific medication regimens.
This makes it an invaluable tool for anyone seeking a dependable and flexible medication management solution.
So which medication/pill reminder should I use?
We are in no way suggesting that other apps outside of this list are not useful. Each app — including the ones on this list — have defining features that make them stand out from others.
Whether it’s providing a user-friendly interface, integration with other medical devices, or additional health tracking features, each medication reminder app can provide value to its users in its own unique way.
We put together this list to help you minimize your search and to give you a few options that we felt provided the best value for users that we’ve come across.
But at the end of the day, you’ll still have to do some testing to find the best medication reminder app for you. If you still feel unsure which one is right for you after reading this article, we recommend trying each one out!
