Small Health HabitsAbout

Home › DoseBeacon › Schedule maker

Make a medication schedule you can print

Copy each medicine from its label, pick when it's taken, and print one page for the week with a box to tick for every dose.

Add a medicine

Have the box or bottle in front of you and copy from the label.

    Your chart

    Before it goes on the fridge

    1. Copy from the label, not from memory. Names that sound alike and strengths that changed last month are how charts go wrong. Have each container in your hand as you type it.
    2. Put everything on it. Prescriptions, shop-bought painkillers, vitamins and supplements all belong on the same page. The U.S. National Institute on Aging asks for exactly that, with the name, the amount and the time for each one.
    3. Get it checked once. Take the printed page to the pharmacy and ask them to read it against the labels. There's a line at the bottom for their initials. Then keep one copy at home and one in a wallet or bag, and show it at every appointment, dentist included.
    4. Tick after the dose, not before. A box ticked in advance is the one that causes the double dose or the skipped one.
    5. Reprint when anything changes. Crossings-out are hard to read at 6 am. The chart is saved in this browser, so changing one line and printing again takes a minute.

    Sources: National Institute on Aging, Taking Medicines Safely as You Age; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 5 Medication Safety Tips for Older Adults; MedlinePlus, Medication Errors.

    Questions people ask

    Is what I type sent anywhere?

    No. The chart is built in your browser and saved only in this browser's own storage, so it's still here when you come back. Nothing is uploaded and there's no account. “Clear everything” wipes it.

    What should a medication schedule include?

    The National Institute on Aging says a medicine list should have the name of each medicine or supplement, the amount you take and the time or times you take it, and for prescriptions the prescriber and the reason. The chart has a column for each of the first three, and space at the bottom for allergies, the pharmacy and the doctor.

    Can I make one for a parent?

    Yes. Put their name at the top and turn on Large print if they'll be the one reading it. Ask their pharmacist to check the page against the labels before it goes up.

    What do I do if a dose is missed?

    A chart can't answer that, because the right step is different for each medicine. Check the leaflet that came with it, or ask a pharmacist or the prescriber. Leave the box empty so the record stays honest.

    When is paper not enough?

    Paper works well for one person who's home at the same times every day. It can't remind anyone, and it can't tell a daughter in another town whether the evening box was ticked. That's the gap a reminder app with a shared record fills.

    More for carers

    • Pill refill date calculatorEnter how many pills are left and how many are taken each day. See the date each medicine runs out and the day to order the refill, for up to eight medicines. Free, private.
    • Pill reminder app vs pill organizerWhat to do when a parent comes home from hospital with new medicines: a 10-item checklist with a progress ring, plus pillbox vs app vs both, compared.
    • Read six fictional medication recordsPractice distinguishing reminders, helper claims, reported doses, pending sharing and conflicting records. No patient details or dosing decisions.
    • Shared medication app for siblings vs the group chatThree siblings, one parent, nine pills a day. One week via the group chat, the fridge chart and a shared record. Did Mum get her 6pm? needs an answer.

    This page helps you write down a plan you already have. It doesn't give medical advice or suggest doses. Honest Little Apps makes DoseBeacon and wrote this page.