The oral contraceptive pill is most effective when taken at the same time every day. With increasingly busy lives it can be difficult to remember to take your pill at your regular time.
If you forget to take your pill you should take it as soon as possible, even if it means taking two pills in the one day. You should then take the next pill at your usual time and finish the course.
However, if you have missed your pill by more than 12 hours there is an increased risk of pregnancy, you should use another form of contraception (such as condoms) for 7 days and be guided by our OCP information sheet.
If you want help with taking your pill regularly you might like to download one of the birth control reminder apps to keep track of your OCP. Here are a couple of the many that are available:-
myPill – This free app is very visual. The app’s home screen imitates a pill packet. It is easy to tell what day you are on and how many days left in your pack. It also lets you write notes, keep track of your period (including your flow), and mark where you have had sex. It reminds you to take the pill without requiring internet access.
Pill Reminder – This app has an easy reminder calendar with time zone support. It can also be password protected to maintain your privacy. Pill reminder has a snooze function that will send you reminders in specific time intervals making it nearly impossible to ignore.
We all rely on apps to help our lives to run more smoothly, so why not for contraception?