If you take more than one medication per day — especially if you take them at different times — remembering to take each dose at the right moment can often be a challenge. And while you can set manual reminders on your phone, they can still be easy to miss sometimes (I know I have before). This is where an automatic pill dispenser can be a worthy purchase. Many of them have more slots than your standard pill organizer, and come with alarms or other methods for getting you to take and track your doses.
The other great thing about dispensers like this is that they usually only require pressing a button to dole out your pills, so folks with arthritis or anyone who has trouble unscrewing multiple different pill bottles no longer has to worry. Plus, many of them come with locking lids that keep little ones or other unauthorized people from being able to access your medication.
Below, I’ve rounded up five automatic pill dispensers that people say make their lives much easier. Whether you take pills yourself or are a caretaker for someone with lots of medication, take the guesswork out of the process with this smart buy.
A wheel dispenser that can be wall-mounted
This 14-compartment dispenser can be wall mounted if you don’t have a lot of counter or table space, or can be stood up. Choose between daily or AM and PM labels, all color-coded for convenience, and load in up to 16 capsules per compartment. When you’re ready to take your pills, just press the button on the top and pills will drop into the container below. Choose from four colors.
Promising review: “This makes my life so much less complicated in the morning. Press a button, take my vitamins. I like that there are different stickers for labeling the wheel. You can make it AM/PM or use days of the week. The size is great. I have take gloucosamine and magnesium, both of which are multiple horse pills daily on top of my other vitamins and medications, and there is room in the compartment for those other pills after putting them in.
I actually have two of these and will sit down for about 30 minutes on every fourth Saturday and dstribute all my pills for the month. The compartments are sealed well and the pills stay dry - though not air tight. I like that I can see inside the wheel and the orange button stands out to remind me to take my pills in the morning. There’s a perfect little cup for catching the pills. It stands perfectly and doesn’t wobble when you press the button. It’s very easy to take off and reattach the wheel from the base, but very secure when on. Same thing can be said about the clear lid. I haven’t traveled with it, but I I expect it would be easy enough. Pills don’t come out unless you want them to.” — Miss Haha
A dispenser with a locking lid and alarm for reminders
This 28-day dispenser can hold up to 18 pills per slot, and has a locking lid that requires a manual key to unlock for refilling purposes. This is great for anyone who wants to keep their medication secure. The dispenser provides visual and audio cues, like lights and an alarm, when it’s time for your dose, and you simply flip the dispenser to stop it. The lid has a simple three-button interface. You can also set the custom timer as much as nine times per day to remind you of your dose right on time.
A smart large-capacity dispenser with a Bluetooth connection
Great for folks with multiple types of medication who need more slots, or for anyone who wants to fill their pills for a longer period of time, this dispenser has 31 slots. Not only that, but it’s a smart dispenser with a Bluetooth app to set voice alerts, visual cues and more. For security, the dispenser is fingerprint-protected; you can add up to 10 fingerprints to only give access to those who will need it (the brand also provides a backup manual key just in case). When you’re ready to take your meds, just push the button.
Promising review: “I had a weekly version of this pill system which worked great. Until it was end of week and I’d forget to refill the containers... Now I only have to fill once a month when I get my prescription refills! I love that these are removable daily containers donincan have with me wherever I go. The size is adequate for my excessive daily regimen. The individual strips are very portable and convenient, easy for my arthritic Parkinson’s hands to open! Plus they are colorful so I the appearance isn’t an eyesore on my counter!” — MandieLou
Or this smart dispenser that’s more travel-friendly
If 31 slots seems like too many, this smart dispenser has the standard 14 but still offers features like Bluetooth connectivity, custom alarms, flashing lights and fingerprint locking. It’s also a little bit slimmer, so you may have an easier time fitting this one in a suitcase. One other cool feature of this one is that after you take your dose, you can confirm it in the app, which lets you log it all on a calendar. Now, you can see clearly when you’ve missed a dose or how many you’ve taken, without having to do the guesswork of trying to remember when you took your last pill.
A battery-operated, alarm-equipped dispenser
This battery-operated dispenser has 28 slots and, like the others, features an alarm reminder system that you just flip to dismiss. Each slot can fit up to 15 tablets, depending on the size, and the alarm can be set up to six times per day. Choose between two colors.
Promising review: “I am so happy I bought this product. It has totally eliminated my occasional non-compliance with medications. It is easy to set up, easy to fill, and easy to dispense the meds. There are cheaper substitutes available. Do not buy them. I got one of those cheaper ones for my girlfriend, to help her with medication management. The darn thing wouldn’t even power on with two different sets of fresh batteries. I have NEVER had any trouble with the Windtrace. I highly recommend it.” — Jeffery Lee (“Jeff”) Plunkett