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When will the pills run out?
Count what’s in the bottle, say how many are taken a day, and you’ll see the last day each medicine covers and the day to order more. Add every medicine in the house and the one that runs out first goes to the top.
Counted on . Counts and dates are estimates from the numbers entered. Check with the pharmacy.
Knowing the date is one thing. Remembering the 8 a.m. tablet is another.
We make DoseBeacon, an iPhone pill reminder built for ageing parents and the family who help them. Senior Mode shows one large, high-contrast card at a time with four clear choices: Log as taken, Later, Not sure, and I need help.
- Approved family members can see which doses were reported, from their own phones.
- Reminders are scheduled on the device, so they work without internet.
- Free for one person with two medicines and one helper, including full history.
- No ads, no data selling. Medicine names are hidden on the lock screen by default.
How the dates are worked out
- Pills a day = pills per dose × doses per day.
- Days covered = pills left ÷ pills a day, rounded down. A leftover part-day doesn’t count, because it isn’t a full day of doses.
- Last day covered = today plus days covered, minus one, assuming today’s doses haven’t been taken yet. If they have, the count you entered already reflects that and the date is one day later than shown, so count before the first dose of the day.
- Order by = the last day covered minus the lead time you choose.
Example: 23 tablets left, one tablet twice a day. That’s 2 a day, so 11 full days. Counted on the 10th, the last covered day is the 20th. With a 7-day lead, order by the 13th.
Picking a lead time
- Seven days suits most repeat prescriptions collected locally.
- Ten to fourteen for mail-order pharmacies, medicines the pharmacy has to order in, or when a new prescription is needed from the doctor first.
- Holidays: add a few days around long weekends, when surgeries and pharmacies close.
Some medicines can’t be refilled early because of insurance or legal limits. The pharmacist can tell you the earliest date for each one.
Why the count is sometimes off
- Missed or doubled doses shift the date. If the count is higher than expected, doses may be being missed, which is worth a gentle conversation.
- “As needed” medicines don’t run on a schedule. Enter a typical day and treat the date as a rough guide.
- Split tablets or changing doses: enter halves as 0.5 and recount after any change.
This calculator does arithmetic on the numbers you enter. It doesn’t give medical advice or check doses. If you’re unsure how a medicine should be taken, ask the pharmacist or prescriber. To lay the week out on paper, use the printable medication schedule maker.
Questions people ask
How do I work out when my medication will run out?
Divide the number of pills left by the number taken each day and round down. That is how many full days you have. Count forward from today to find the last covered day.
How early should I order a repeat prescription?
About a week before it runs out is a common rule of thumb, and longer for mail-order or anything the pharmacy must order in. Some medicines have an earliest refill date set by insurance or regulation; your pharmacist can confirm it.
Can I track more than one medicine?
Yes. Add up to eight. The summary at the top shows which one runs out first.
Is anything I enter stored or sent?
The list is kept in this browser on this device so it is there when you come back. Nothing is sent anywhere, and removing a row deletes it.
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