Medication compliance is a serious challenge for many people and not just seniors. Nonetheless, staying on top of your medicine intake is essential to your overall well-being.
Pill reminder apps, an important category of safety apps for seniors, are a great tool for the elderly looking to manage their medications.
Keep reading for a low-down on the best pill reminder apps.
Best Medication Reminder Apps
Medisafe Pill Reminder
For many people, Medisafe is the ultimate pill reminder. It’s known for being user-friendly and having an easy-to-use sleek design.
Its greatest strength is its ability to offer personalized reminders regarding pill-taking, refill reminders, and medical appointment reminders. Additionally, the app allows patients to connect with their clinicians through an integrated platform.
Additional Features:
- Online Pharmacy Services – In partnership with the startup Truepill, the app also offers online pharmacy services.
- Multi-Language Capability – The app is available in 15 languages, including German, Spanish, Arabic, and Simplified Chinese.
- It Can Track Your Health And Keep A Health Journal – Ability to track important health measurements such as blood pressure, weight, glucose levels, and much more.
- Possible Drug Interactions Warming – For Medisafe users in the United States, the app can warn you of a possible drug interaction.
With the premium version of the app, you get unlimited Medfriends and the ability to track over 25 health measurements.
Price
There is a free version on both the iOS and Android platforms, which caters to the needs of most users. However, a premium Medisafe iOS version is available for $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year.
The premium Android app is available for $2.99 per month or $39.99 per year.
Dosecast: My Pill Reminder App
Dosecast is one of the most versatile pill reminder apps on the market. The app is inherently flexible when it comes to dose schedules.
A lot of its users also praise it for the personalization it offers. Users can schedule dosages for daily, weekly, and monthly consumption. As for notification, the app has a take, postpone or skip dose function. It also has a snooze feature.
Additional Features
- Drug expiration dates tracking
- Overdose avoidance feature – you can list the maximum daily dosage
- Smart silencing feature
- Data encryption
- Travel-friendly reminder features – it updates itself across time zones
In addition to the basic features that the basic Dosecast app comes with, the Pro app comes with additional advanced features, such as:
- Multi-device sync
- Dose compliance and history
- Refill alerts
- Multi-person support
- Drug database
- Pharmacy and doctor tracking
- The ability to take photos of the drug you’re taking
Price
There is a free version and a pro version. As indicated above, the pro version comes with some extra bells and whistles at $2.99 per month or $27.99 per year.
Express Scripts
Express Scripts combines the functions of the pharmacy app and pill reminder app. The app has a function allowing users to set daily medication reminders.
Additionally, patients whose health insurance has integrated an Express Script benefits plan can order refills directly in the app.
For such patients, the app seamlessly integrates the entire process of ordering prescription drugs and taking them as recommended.
Additional Features
- Set automatic refill, reducing the risk of forgetting to replenish your prescription drugs
- Prescription order tracking
- Order refills from the app for you or a family member using your plan
Price
Free On iOS and Android
MyTherapy
While the MyTherapy app is an effective pill reminder app, it comes bundled with various other features that any senior would need to stay healthy and fit.
This award-winning app has a highly customizable pill reminder function, just like the other app listed above. It also has an exercise/activity reminder.
Finally, you can also perform measurement tracking with the app. In essence, it functions as a health journal.
Additional Features
- Injection site tracker
- Measurement tracker, including mood, activity/exercises, heart rate, blood pressure, and much more
- Family sharing capability
- Health journal printing capability
- Refill reminder
Price
Free On iOS and Android
Mango Health
Mango Health is another multifaceted app. The app is mainly designed to help users remember to take their medication on time.
However, it can also track your overall health to improve your well-being or, at the very least, help you pick up healthy habits.
For instance, you can customize the app to remind you to carry out health monitoring activities such as monitoring blood glucose, tracking your mood, the amount of water you consume, and much more.
While it is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, Mango Health has proven to be one of the best pill reminder apps for smartphones running on Android.
Additional Features
- Medication interaction warning
- Medication refill reminder
- Health diary with upcoming appointment reminder
- Incentives in the form of points and rewards for medication compliance
Price
Free on iOS and Android
EveryDose
EveryDose has a medication reminder, like all other apps on this list. However, it sets itself apart from the rest by having a built-in AI that provides users with health information.
Dubbed Maxwell, the AI answers any health question or medication you have. The app has a section where you can learn more about your medication, giving you a better understanding of what you’re taking.
Additional Features
- Food information to educate you on the foods to avoid
- Medication interactions warning
- AI-powered virtual medical assistant
Price
Free on iOS and Android
CareClinic
CareClinic is a medication tracking app that also doubles up as a symptoms-tracking application. Using the app, users can track their use of prescription drugs, supplements, and much more.
You also get medication refill reminders. However, for the elderly, the app comes in handy as it makes symptom tracking much easier.
The app also features the ability to track a myriad of measurements, including weight, mood, temperature, sleep and energy levels, pulse and blood pressure, and much more.
Additional Features
- Medicine interaction alerts
- Ability to share your medical journal with your medical provider
- Tracking a myriad of symptoms
Price
The app is free on iOS and Android. However, it does have in-app purchases that range from $1.99 to $59.99
RELATED: Helpful Apps for Seniors Who Live Alone
Simple Pill Reminder Apps That Are Easy To Use
While all the apps discussed above will help remind you to take your pills on time, some are more user-friendly than others.
The simplicity of scheduling and customizing your pill reminder is a huge factor in ensuring seniors have an easy go at keeping on top of their medication.
Apps that have gained acclaim for being simple and inherently intuitive to use are:
Once fully launched, Apple Medicines App will also be an excellent choice for iOS users. Given that the app will seamlessly integrate across Apple’s devices, especially Apple Watch, the app will enhance medication compliance significantly.
Alternatives To Apps
Apple’s Medications App
Apple recently announced that it would be launching its own health tracking app – the Medications App. The app will have a medication reminder app, which will allow you to create customized pill reminders.
Naturally, it will have myriad other capabilities that will help improve your life or the life of a loved one. Some features we can anticipate the app will have include drug interaction alerts and the ability to provide more information on the medication you’re taking.
Alexa Reminders
Since 2019, Alexa has been equipped with the medication reminder capability. Amazon teamed up with Omnicell to bring this capability to its class-leading voice assistant.
To use Alexa’s medication reminder, users must enable Giant Eagle Pharmacy’s skill in Alexa and link their account. After going through the normal setup process, you can tell “Alexa, manage my medication” to set up reminders.
While using Alexa as a pill reminder involves quite a bit of setup, it’s inherently easy since much of the setup process involves voice commands.
Pill Boxes With Alarms
These are essentially advanced pill organizers equipped with the capability to notify you when you’re supposed to take your pills.
While there are many different makes and models, the pillboxes use a combination of beeps and vibrations to notify you when it’s time to take your pills. Aside from organizing your pills, they’re also pill reminders.
If this alternative to a pill reminder app suits you better, the New MedQ Daily Pill Box Reminder is an excellent choice.
The MedQ Daily Pill Box features a 14-day pill organizer with a reminder once or twice a day. It has a flashing function that lights up the container with the pills you should take.
Alternatively, you could buy the more compact e-Pill 4 Alarm Pocket with Attached Pillbox at Amazon. It has 4 compartments that can hold 8 aspirin-sized pills. Its reminder function consists of a beeping and/or vibrating alarm.
Hero Health Dispenser
The Hero Health Dispenser is an award-winning appliance designed to help you stay on top of your medication. The device alerts you when it’s time to take your medication with an alarm and a blinking light.
With one press of a button, the dispenser releases the required pills. It also has a mobile app that alerts you when it’s time to take your medicine.
The dispenser, which can fit on any typical kitchen counter, can hold up to 90 days’ supply of 10 different medicines.
Reminder Rosie
A Reminder Rosie is another good alternative to pill reminder apps from Amazon. It has all the features that would make it easy for the elderly to adhere to medication compliance. For instance, Reminder Rosie alarm clocks tend to have a large simple display that is easy to read.
They also have loud alarms that alert you when it’s time to take your pill. You can never miss the alarm. Additionally, you can record voice notes to remind you which pills to take and when.
While it does not have highly advanced features such as AI-powered assistants, a Reminder Rosie is still an effective pill reminder.
Tips To Help Elderly People Manage Medications
1. Invest In A Pill Reminder
Remembering when to take your pill can be a challenge for everyone, not least our elderly loved ones. With so much going on in our lives, keeping tabs on pill time is difficult and often impractical – we will forget or remember when it’s too late.
You can overcome this challenge by having a pill reminder app, even a free one. As long as it reminds you or an elderly loved one or their caregiver when to take their pills.
2. Review Your Medication Regularly
Ensure you go through your medication and supplements whenever you schedule a meeting with your healthcare provider.
This is especially important if you visit a new doctor. Reviewing your medication will ensure your medication is not causing any adverse side effects.
3. Follow Your Healthcare Provider’s Recommendations When Taking Medicines
Making mistakes when taking medicine is prevalent among older adults.
This might be occasioned by:
- difficulty reading and/or understanding the directions on labels
- worrying about possible side effects
- inadequate information about taking your medication or any other reason.
However, not following your healthcare provider’s recommendations can pose a health risk to you. Always consult your doctor if you’re ever in doubt about taking your medication.
4. Have An Up-To-Date Medication List
Ensure you have a list of all your medication, vitamins, and supplements, including the over-the-counter medicine you might be taking. Having an updated list will help prevent drug interactions.
On your record, note:
- whether the medication is for short or long-term use
- how often you should take it
- who prescribed your prescription medicines and when, and
- the purpose of each medicine, supplement, or vitamin.
Summary And Final Recommendations
Medication compliance is an important aspect of staying healthy, especially when taking medication to treat or manage an ailment.
This means you should make concerted efforts to take your medicine and supplements on time and as directed by your healthcare provider.
Pill reminders can help you manage your pill by removing the stress of always having to keep track of pill time. Download one today!
