“3 times a day” for this drug, “4 times daily” for another… But when exactly should I take my drugs?

It is necessary to take your drugs regularly and on time, as your body will remove drugs slowly from your body at the same time when they are acting.

If you are not sure about how frequently you should take them, you may refer to the following suggested time for taking drugs:

• Once daily – take the drug at about the same time every day
• Twice daily – take the drug every 12 hours
• 3 times a day – take the drug every 6-8 hours
• 4 times a day – take the drug every 4-6 hours

Then you may try to correlate these times with your daily routine for your easy memory.

For instance, “twice daily” can be thought as “take in the morning and before bed”, while “3 times a day” can be considered as “take after every regular meals”.

(But make sure you remember, this method is for your easy memory to take the drug on time; never fit the time of taking drugs into your daily habit if it is irregular!)

Please also note that there are drugs which should be taken at designated times, either to maximize effectiveness or to reduce side effects.

For example, diuretics (drugs that increase your urine output) should be taken in the morning, so that you would not have to wake up in the middle of the night for toilet.

… Still find it difficult to remember these numbers?

If you want to know more, please first