What to Do If You Miss a Dose

Missing a dose happens. Life gets busy, plans change, or you simply forget. What matters most is how you handle it, and knowing when to just take the dose versus when to check in with your care team.

The General Rule of Thumb

For most medications, the general guidance is:

• If you remember soon after the missed time, take the dose as soon as you realize it, then continue your regular schedule.

• If it's almost time for your next dose, it's often better to skip the missed one and just take the next dose at its regular time, rather than doubling up.

However, the exact guidance can differ depending on your specific medication, so this is a good question to ask your provider or pharmacist in advance, before you're in the moment trying to remember what to do.

Never Double Up Without Checking First

Taking two doses close together to "make up" for a missed one is generally not recommended unless a pharmacist or provider specifically tells you it's fine for your medication. Doubling up can increase side effects without necessarily providing extra benefit.

Don't Panic Over an Occasional Missed Dose

One missed dose, on its own, is very unlikely to cause lasting harm or immediately compromise your treatment. The bigger concern is a pattern of regularly missed doses over time. If you miss a dose occasionally, get back on schedule and move forward. Beating yourself up over it doesn't help and can make adherence feel more stressful than it needs to be.

When to Contact Your Provider or Pharmacist

Reach out if:

• You're not sure whether to take a missed dose or wait for the next one.

• You've missed several doses in a row.

• You vomited shortly after taking a dose and aren't sure if it was absorbed.

• You've run out of medication and can't get a refill right away.

• You're finding yourself missing doses regularly and want help adjusting your regimen or routine.

Pharmacists are a often-overlooked, easily accessible resource for these questions. You usually don't need an appointment to call and ask.

Keep a Simple Record

If missed doses are becoming frequent, it can help to jot down when they happen and why (forgot, ran out, side effects, schedule change). Bringing this pattern to your provider gives them useful information to help solve the underlying issue, rather than just repeating "try to remember."

What Not to Do

• Don't stop taking your medication altogether because you missed a dose or feel discouraged. Reach out for support instead.

• Don't guess about doubling doses without checking first.

• Don't skip your next lab appointment out of worry or embarrassment. Your care team is there to help, not judge.

Key Takeaways

• General guidance: take a missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it's almost time for the next one, then skip and continue as normal.

• Avoid doubling doses unless your provider or pharmacist specifically says it's safe for your medication.

• An occasional missed dose is common and not a crisis; a repeated pattern is worth addressing with your care team.

• Pharmacists and providers are there to help you problem-solve, not to judge.