Medication Schedule Planner

How to use it

1. Pick how often you take the medication: every 3, 4, 6 or 8 hours.
2. Set when you wake up and go to bed. Your sleep shows up as the purple block on the timeline.
3. Drag any dose (or use Earlier / Later) to move the whole schedule. The doses stay evenly spaced, and any that fall while you're asleep turn purple.
4. Add reminders. Add to calendar gives you a daily repeating reminder for each dose in Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook.

What do q4h, q6h and q8h mean?

They're the abbreviations doctors and pharmacists use for how often to take a medication. The q comes from the Latin quaque, meaning "every", and the doses are evenly spaced around the full 24 hours, including overnight. You may also see them written in capitals (Q6H) or spelled out a little more, like q6hr or q 6 hrs.

Common questions

How many times a day is q6h?

q6h means every 6 hours, which is 4 doses in 24 hours. A typical q6h schedule is 6am, 12pm, 6pm and 12am.

How many times a day is q8h?

q8h means every 8 hours, which is 3 doses in 24 hours. Common q8h schedules are 6am, 2pm and 10pm, or 7am, 3pm and 11pm.

How many times a day is q4h?

q4h means every 4 hours, which is 6 doses in 24 hours, for example 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm, 12am and 4am.

How do I pick a q8h schedule?

Many people choose times that put one dose soon after waking and one near bedtime. If you're up from 7am until 11pm, for example, a 7am, 3pm and 11pm schedule puts the first dose at wake-up and the last at bedtime, with none in the middle of the night. Set your own wake-up and bedtime in the planner above to see which times work for you.

Is q8h the same as three times a day?

Not always. Three times a day (TID) usually means three doses spread across your waking hours, often with meals. q8h means evenly spaced doses every 8 hours, including overnight. If you're not sure which your prescription means, ask your pharmacist.

Is q6h the same as four times a day?

Not always. Four times a day (QID) usually means four doses spread across your waking hours, such as with meals and at bedtime. q6h means evenly spaced doses every 6 hours, including overnight. If you're not sure which your prescription means, ask your pharmacist.

Do I have to wake up at night for a dose?

It depends on the medication. Some need steady levels in your body and others are more flexible. This planner shows which doses fall during your sleep so you can ask your doctor or pharmacist about a specific schedule.

Is my information saved or shared?

Your schedule is saved only in your own browser so it's there when you come back, and there's no account. The calendar file is created on your device, and the medication name you type isn't saved or sent anywhere. We use Google Analytics to understand how people use the page, such as which interval they pick. It doesn't include your dose times, sleep hours or medication name.

Other dosing abbreviations