It can be difficult to remember to take or keep track of your medications, particularly if you’re one of the more than ten percent of Americans who take five or more different types of pills per day. In fact, nearly a quarter of the population takes three or more.
Recent studies show that half of patients struggle with medication adherence. Taking medications as prescribed can become even more difficult if you must take more than one at different times during the day. And forgetting to take your medication can have health, financial, and even societal ramifications.
Incorrectly taking medication causes almost 125,000 deaths annually in the US, and failure to take prescription drugs as prescribed by a medical practitioner can also increase healthcare costs by roughly $300 billion, as reported by Forbes magazine. Fortunately, many different pillboxes, devices, and other handy tools can remind you to take your meds as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
Even better, you can use your Android or iOS smartphone as your electronic guardian angel, helping notify you when to take your medications via mobile apps. Most mobile apps require you to enter the details of each medicine you’re planning to take. You type in the medication name, dose, how frequently you take it, and when to take it.
For instance, you can type in that you take 20 mg of Lipitor once a day at 8 PM for cholesterol treatment. An alert will pop up at 8 PM to remind you to take 20 mg of Lipitor. You can do this for every medication that you’re supposed to take.
Some of these apps can also be used to track multivitamins, over-the-counter medications, and dietary supplements you’re taking. But how do you find the right medication reminder app?
You might also have concerns about your data security, privacy, or access to sensitive data collected and stored by the app. For that, we advise that you carefully go through the terms and conditions of use stipulated by the app developer.
That being said, here are the seven best medication reminder apps you can use today. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about them — including their pros and cons, how we chose them, and why they’re relevant, popular, and worthy of your attention.
1- Medisafe
Billed as a “virtual pillbox,” Medisafe is regarded as the best smartphone app for medication management. And it’s easy to see why – the mobile app is user-friendly, free, and straightforward to use. To use the Medisafe medication reminder app, you’ll need to enter each medication you’re taking, and it’ll send you personalized alerts to remind you to take them as prescribed.
Medication interaction warnings are included in these notifications, helping you determine what not to take with your medications. What’s more, the app allows you to create several profiles so that you can manage your medication reminders and those of your loved ones too. It also monitors your drug prescriptions and notifies you when it’s time for refilling your medications.
The Medfriend feature enables you to share your medication report with a caregiver, relative, or friend so they can ensure you’re on top of your dosage. If you don’t respond to multiple notifications or if you miss a dose, your Medfriend will be alerted. You can also sync health data in the app, such as heart rate or blood pressure (BP).
The Medisafe Pill and Med Reminder app has garnered a 4.6 and 4.7-star rating, respectively, on the Google Play and Apple App stores. Its primary language is English, but it supports more than 15 languages, including Spanish, Simplified Chinese, German, and Arabic. The basic app is free on both stores, but you can upgrade to the premium iOS and Android versions for $4.99 and $2.99 per month, respectively.
Pros
- Medisafe app uses 256-bit encryption and is HIPAA-compliant
- The Medfriend feature makes medication regime report sharing easy
- Users can create multiple profiles
- Medisafe users can access a wide range of discounts and deals at many pharmacies.
- Medication interaction warnings help you figure out what meds, food, or drinks not to take with your prescriptions.
Cons
- Some users say alerts are silenced when the device is in Silent mode
- Medisafe shares aggregated yet anonymized data to pharmacies and pharma companies
2- MedMinder
MedMinder is a visual medical reminder tool complete with its own cellular-connected robot pillboxes. It’s a favorite app for older adults who must carefully keep track of multiple pills. If you’re looking for a tool that provides mobile alerts as well as visual reminders, then this app has you covered.
The MedMinder app has a raft of optional features, including audio reminders and caregiver notification by SMS messages and phone calls if you miss a dose. As a holistic prescription management tool, it also arrives with a locked pill dispenser that sends out digital alerts with an in-built cellular connection, so you’ll get phone calls, beeps, and light reminders even when your device isn’t connected to the internet or your cellular network.
Each pill dispenser can hold up to 4 medication doses per day. The pill compartments are individually locked until you have to take the dose. In this way, patients — particularly older adults — can avoid taking the wrong type or amount of medication. The locks serve as a safety net when pets or young kids are around.
MedMinder comes with a button that the user can press if they need emergency medical help. Overall, the app is excellent for people who need caregiver assistance with their medications. It can also generate weekly summary reports. However, it can be pricey, especially for short-term medication scheduling.
Pros
- MedMinder is at the forefront of pill-dispensing technology
- Multiple pill-filling options
- Many caregiver functionalities
- Reminds you to take the right meds at the right time
Cons
- Only 28 pill-dispensing slots
- Maximum four daily doses
3- Mango Health
Available for free on both Apple App Store and Google Play, Mango Health is a nifty smartphone app designed to make medication regime management easy, fun, and hassle-free. It allows you to set up med reminders as well as skip or snooze them if you wish to. The app will enable you to manage other aspects of your health, including blood glucose, weight, fitness, and blood pressure monitoring.
You can also set reminders for other healthy habits, ranging from tracking the amount of water you’re drinking to making sure that you’re eating better. Many users rave about the app’s ability to maintain all medication management data in one place, allowing them to understand how their meds will interact with drinks, foods, over-the-counter drugs, and other prescription medications.
The app not only keeps you on track with personalized healthy activity and medication reminders; it also comes with a health diary where you can track upcoming lab tests, doctor’s appointments, and more. Other notable features include potential drug side effects and medication interaction warnings. It also alerts you when it’s time for a refill.
The most exciting feature of the Mango Health app is that users can earn rewards and points for sticking to their medication schedules. In turn, they can exchange these reward points for gift cards. One user’s recent comment paints the most accurate picture of the app: “Most useful app on my phone! I’m one of those people that believe that smartphones should make us smarter. Since downloading Mango Health one month ago, I have not missed a single dose of medication!”
Pros
- Users are rewarded with redeemable points for taking their meds
- The app allows users to customize their medication schedules
- You can set reminders for an array of other healthy habits
- Caregivers can use Mango Health to monitor and manage medication adherence for those in their care
Cons
- You’ll have to enter medication details manually
- You can set reminders for only pre-determined healthy habits
4- Dosecast: My Pill Reminder App
Many medication tracking apps have a free standard version, and Dosecast is no different. However, to get the most bang for your download, get the premium edition of Dosecast: My Pill Reminder App. The upgrade will set you back $3.99 once —after that, you’ll pay $2.99 a month or opt for a $27.99 yearly subscription.
The standard free version of the app still allows you to set up medication reminders. You can also take notes on specific prescriptions, type in customized dosages, and silence notifications, making it somewhat comparable to Medisafe.
The real magic happens when you upgrade to the premium edition, which packs extra perks. These paid features and functionalities include:
- Set alerts for refill reminders
- Sync your health and medication data across several iOS, Android, and Amazon devices
- Take pictures of your medications so you can tell them apart
- Use the medication database while typing in prescriptions to make the process easier
- Track many different types of medications and supplements, including eye drops, injections, birth control regimens
- Keeps a personalized log of medication adherence history so that you can check if you missed any dose
The Pro version of Dosecast: My Pill Reminder App also lets you connect your account to your pharmacy or healthcare provider. That makes it easier and hassle-free to contact them for a refill or with questions.
Pros
- Compatible with most devices
- Automatically adjusts medication reminders based on your time zone
- Anonymizes patient information it gathers
- Available in German and French, as well as English
Cons
- Most essential features, such as refill reminders, and pill count, available only in the paid version of the app
- Users must create different alerts for different dosages of the same medication
5- MyTherapy
As noted by Pranjal Bora of Digital Authority Partners, it can be tricky to take prescription drugs on top of your over-the-counter medication, contraceptives, and other pills. That’s precisely why you need the MyTherapy app – a health journal, mood tracker, and medication reminder wrapped in one snazzy smartphone app. This award-winning app is not only free to download but doesn’t feature ads, either.
The real icing on the cake is that MyTherapy is available in almost 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Spanish, German, and French. That makes it an ideal medication reminder app for bilingual persons or those who don’t speak English.
This app is also very flexible about how you enter your medications. Like other app, you can type in the medications manually, but you can also scan the barcodes on the refill bottle. Either way, the MyTherapy app makes it a cinch to create medication reminders. You can also record where you inject your medications, such as stomach, upper arm, or thigh muscles.
The app lets you connect your account to trusted friends, family, and caregivers to keep track of any missed doses. It also automatically generates a log for missed and confirmed doses. The MyTherapy app will send you an alert when you’re low on your medication and need to get your prescription refilled.
The app also lets you keep track of other healthy lifestyle habits and measurements, such as exercising, blood glucose, mood, blood pressure, weight, and more. You can have the app aggregate your health data into a detailed printable summary report to share with your caregiver or healthcare provider.
Many users agree that MyTherapy is superb. One notes, “I cannot recommend this app enough, the interface is clean, support is ridiculously fast to respond to questions, it’s free, and relatively safe from a privacy perspective as far as I can tell (though I’m no expert). If you need help remembering medications, get this app.”
Pros
- Supports almost 30 languages, in addition to English
- Lets users add trusted encouragers and caregivers
- Helps you track medication intake, as well as weight, BP, blood glucose, mood
- Logs measurements are logged and presents in printable health reports.
Cons
- The refill reminder could use some significant improvements
- No medication interaction warnings
6- Walmart Wellness App (Formerly CareZone)
CareZone was admitted into the Walmart Wellness fold when the retail giant acquired technology and intellectual property from the health startup in mid-2020. The Walmart Wellness app is packed with robust features and functionalities and includes most of the best features of the medication reminders we’ve mentioned thus far. Think of this as a hybrid of Medisafe and MyTherapy, but more comprehensive.
As part of Walmart, the app offers Walmart Pharmacy services, and prescription meds can be sorted and organized into separate packets or packaged in bottles – it’s your call!
You can use the app to order refills, track your active prescription orders, and schedule doctor’s appointments at any Walmart Health center. Support can also coordinate with your healthcare provider to ensure you don’t run out of your medications.
You can use the app to set up and receive alerts for taking your medications. For iPhones, iPads, and other compatible Apple devices, you can set the settings to sound alerts even when your device is on Do Not Disturb or silent mode. Other perks and features include:
- A message board in which you interact and share with other app users
- A calendar to help you track upcoming appointments
- A health journal to keep track of your symptoms and thoughts
- The ability to monitor different health data, such as blood glucose levels, BP, and weight
The use of the Walmart Wellness App is free, but you’ll be responsible for the medication-associated costs.
Pros
- Book appointments at Walmart Health center close to you
- Keep track of and set reminders for more than medication scheduling
- Access Walmart Pharmacy services
- Receive audio alerts even when your phone is on silent mode
- Manage medication for multiple family members using one app
- Use the built-in medication reminder and calendar tool
- Share health data from the app, if you choose to
Cons
- You must enter credit card info every time you place a refill request to be accepted
- Setting up the app can be a challenge
7- Round Health App
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use, down-to-earth medication reminder app for your iPhone, you can’t do better than the Round Health app from Circadian Design. This is a no-frills pill and medicine reminder app that doesn’t have many of the fancy bells and whistles we’ve already seen in other options on this list.
Even so, the app lets you set up alerts for over-the-counter pills and prescription medications, as well as vitamins and other supplements. With a comprehensive drug database, you can enter medications in next to no time. Selecting and customizing the dosage for each prescription is equally easy to do.
One of the most notable features of the Round Health app is that it allows you to program three alerts that fall into one reminder “window.” You’ll get one alert at the start, middle, and end of this notification window, giving you plenty of reminders to take your medications. Simply tap or swipe the notification to confirm medication intake.
It can also sync with your Apple Watch and other compatible smartwatches, allowing you to get reminders right on your wrist when your smartphone is out of your reach.
Pros
- Works with many smartwatches
- Provides a preloaded list of medications, vitamins, and supplements to set intake reminders in the shortest time possible.
- Tracks remaining dosages so you can order refills on time
- Set alerts for supplements and vitamins in addition to medications
- Not necessary to create an account, reducing the risk of a data security breach
Cons
- Only available for IOS device
- You must set different reminders for different dosages
How We Picked the Best Medication Reminder Apps
There are hundreds of thousands of health-related apps out there and most can reliably help users with medication adherence. But with so many options on the app stores, how do you find the right one to help remind you to take your medication in a timely and correct fashion?
We looked at the following key factors to zero in on only the crème de la crème of medication tracking apps.We made sure they’re loaded with robust features, readily available, and rated highly by experts and users alike.
Factor #1: Availability
A medication reminder app won’t be helpful to you if it cannot work on your specific device. As such, we prioritized reminder apps that are available on several devices, notably Android and iOS devices.
Factors #2: Beyond Medication Reminders
A good medication tracking app will help you stay on top of your medication intake and reminds you when you’re low on your prescription drugs. However, the best apps provide more than reminders. They can help you track when you need a refill and help you place a refill order with ease. They should also monitor your confirmed and missed doses and alert elected people, such as your family, caregivers, or doctor, to do the same.
Medication reminders are becoming more innovative and smarter with the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI). For instance, some AI-powered apps use GPS to remind you to take your meds when you’re at your office or home and not when you’re running, driving, etc. They can also determine the best times to send reminders.
More importantly, the best medication reminder apps are jam-packed with nifty and useful additional features. These include medication interaction warnings and the ability to track other health issues like weight, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, mood, and so on.
Factor #3: App Store Reviews and Ratings
It doesn’t matter how powerful and helpful the developer describes their app to be; the user is the ultimate king. They have the most important say about the app. So we took a close look at individual user reviews, paying particular attention to complaints and overall app ratings on both Google Play and Apple App stores. These metrics help us gauge an app’s reliability, user-friendliness, and more.
The Wrap-Up
Many different free and paid medication reminder apps are available to help you if you struggle with medication adherence and need a little support. They may differ in how they create personalized reminders, and you might want to try several apps to find a good fit for you. To choose an ideal option, you’ll need to consider the app’s features, additional functionality, compatibility with your device, and data security policies.
About the Author/s
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
