If you take multiple pills regularly, a pill box (also known as a pill organiser or pill planner) could help you easily store and access your medications.
They're suitable for people with chronic conditions that require ongoing daily medications, but are also handy for short-term use. All have separate compartments for storing your pills, be they capsules, tablets or supplements.
But with the seemingly endless designs, sizes and colours available, how do you choose the right pill box for your daily needs?
On this page:
- What you can put in a pill box
- What to look for in a pill organiser
- The best pill boxes we tested
- Travelling with a pill box
- What about pre-packaged pill services?
- How we test pill boxes
- Why you might need a pill box
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What you can put in a pill box
Not everything is suitable to put into a pill box or similar dosage administration aid. They aren't airtight and they're exposed to light.
According to the Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council's Guiding Principles for Medication Management in the Community, only solid oral medicines should be put into pill boxes.
As a general rule, the following medicines are unsuitable:
- anything taken "as required"
- medication unsuitable for light, air and moisture (such as effervescent or quick-dissolving tablets)
- anything with special handling instructions.
What to look for in a pill organiser
There are many designs of pill boxes to suit your needs. These were the main features we noted when testing these products.
The Ezy Dose Pill Planner Daily AM/PM has a simple design.
Skin Therapy 7 Days Pill Box, $3, is an example of a four-a-day weekly pill organiser.
Daily storage
Many pill boxes let you store a week's worth of pills, with compartments labelled from Sunday to Saturday.
Some only include one compartment per day, some two a day (labelled AM/PM), and some even have four a day (often labelled morning, noon, evening and bedtime).
We've also seen ones with only two compartments rather than a weekly set-up (say, AM and PM).
Compartment sizes
These range from spacious compartments suitable for larger vitamin supplements to tiny compartments designed for smaller tablets.
Some let you separate a day's worth of pills from the main unit (or from the adjoining days' pills) for easy transport in your handbag or pocket.
The SurgiPack SafeTDose 7 Day Tablet and Vitamin Organiser uses a sliding lid rather than the more common flip lid.
Opening methods
The simplest and most common type of compartment has a flip-lid that clicks shut.
According to our tests, the effort required to open the lids may be inconsistent between compartments, and people with arthritis, large fingers or weak hands may have trouble opening and closing them.
Another common design uses a push button to pop the lid open, which is handy. Some use the push button to only unlock the lid, and you'll need to lift it manually.
Some styles have a sliding lid that covers the compartments of the day's medication. These can be tricky to use as you need to make sure you're only sliding the lid enough to expose one compartment at a time.
Dispensing the pills
A tiny compartment can make it difficult to retrieve one pill at a time, but if it's a smaller pill box overall it's easy enough to tip the contents into the palm of your hand.
Boxes with many large compartments can get heavy if they're all full, but it's easier to scrape out the required pills with your finger.
When retrieving pills, curved sides may be easier to use than straight sides.
Self-dispensing pill boxes
We haven't tested these but there are a number of products that are lockable and automatically dispense medication only when needed. Some may even connect to an app. These could cost up to around $200.
Colour schemes
A pill box with, say, a different colour for each time of the day or day of the week, can provide visual clues as to when to take your medicine, and they could be handy for people with visual impairments.
If more than one person in the family uses a pill box, you could buy the same type but with a different colour scheme to help distinguish between the two.
The letters on CHOICE Community member Faith's pill box faded over time, as this comparison shows.
Labelling
The labelling on the pill boxes we tested varies from tiny, hard-to-see days of the week to large, clear signposting. Some also provide Braille on the pill boxes.
Our CHOICE Community members generally agree that the writing on pill boxes will wear off over time, after which you'd need to either buy a new pill box or write the day of the week and/or time of day on the lid.
One member's tip is to place sticky tape or clear nail polish over the lettering to protect it from wear and tear.
The Surgipack Safe-T-Dose One Week Circular Medication Organiser.
Shape
Most of the pill boxes we reviewed are rectangular but some are a circular or polygon shape, which is handy if you don't want your week to start on a Sunday!
Timers
A few of the basic models we've tested have a simple LCD timer, and some of the more sophisticated models not only have a timer but also a pill dispensing mechanism (these don't form part of our review).
Record card
Some models come with a record card to help you log your medications.
Construction
All the pill boxes we tested are plastic. Pill boxes aren't designed to last forever.
Apart from the wording rubbing off over time, the plastic hinge on the models with flip-style lids is likely to also weaken after repeated use, with one member telling us it broke after being dropped onto a tiled floor.
Some also say that if you tip a day's pills into your hand, other compartments may also pop open.
Recyclability
Not all the products claim to be recyclable. Information on the type of plastic was minimal, with none specifying on the packaging whether they were free of BPA (although some claim "food grade" plastic).
The best pill boxes we tested
We tested a small selection of pill boxes available from various chemists, discount chains and online specialist stores like Chemist Warehouse, Kmart and TabTimer. Our testing focused on ease of use and we've listed the pill boxes that were easiest to use below.
Once-a-day weekly pill boxes
Surgical Basics Tablet & Vitamin Planner, $9.89.
Surgical Basics Tablet & Vitamin Planner
- Number of compartments: 7
- Colour-coded: Yes
- Ease of use score: 83%
- Drop test score: 70%
- Price: $9.89
- Website: 3p.com.au
A seven-day pill box with large, colour-coded compartment lids that open easily at the press of a button. Compartments are quite secure but some may pop open if accidentally dropped onto a hard surface.
More than 20 Panadol tablets can fit into each compartment.
Health and Wellness Bubble Press 7 A Day Tablet Organiser, $6.50.
Health & Wellness Bubble Press 7 A Day Tablet Organiser
Number of compartments: 7
Colour-coded: No
Ease of use score: 77%
Drop test score: 70%
Price: $6.50
Website: chemistwarehouse.com.au
This seven-day pill box is small and light, yet each compartment is large enough to fit 20 Panadol tablets. The curved edge makes it easier to scrape the pills out with your finger. There are raised Braille markings and one letter to represent each day of the week.
A couple of compartments may open when dropped onto a hard surface.
Kmart Anko 7-Day Pill Box, $3.
Kmart Anko 7-Day Pill Box
- Number of compartments: 7
- Colour-coded: No
- Ease of use score: 77%
- Drop test score: 70%
- Price: $3
- Website: kmart.com.au
If you don't take large pills, this cheap and simple pill box could be suitable. There's one letter representing each day of the week, and raised Braille markings.
Although only 10 Panadol tablets can fit into each compartment, the box is small and light (15.5cm long and 4cm wide), and easy to carry.
The compartments are easy to flip open and empty into your hand, which is just as well because your finger won't fit with the pills inside.
Compartments are quite secure, but some may pop open if accidentally dropped onto a hard surface.
Twice-a-day weekly pill boxes
TabTimer Rainbow Connection Pill Box Timer TT4-15, $39.
TabTimer Rainbow Connection Pill Box Timer TT4-15 (Portable Alarm Pill Box)
- Number of compartments: 15
- Colour-coded: Yes
- Ease of use score: 70%
- Drop test score: 70%
- Price: $39
- Website: tabtimer.com.au
A handy weekly pill planner with colour-coded AM and PM compartments, plus a bonus 'emergency' compartment. There's a built-in alarm to help you remember your tablets.
You can slide the daily compartments apart, although some of them felt a bit loose. Expect a few compartments to open if dropped onto a hard surface, and the alarm battery cover may fall off. We could fit a generous 16 Panadol tablets per compartment.
Ezy Dose Pill Planner Weekly AM/PM with push buttons (XL), $29.
Ezy Dose Pill Planner Weekly AM/PM with push buttons (XL)
- Number of compartments: 14
- Colour coded: Yes
- Ease of use score: 77%
- Drop test score: 50%
- Price: $29
- Website: ezydose.com
This twice-a-day weekly planner has clearly labelled days of the week and separate AM/PM compartments.
There's a clear window to see the contents inside the box, and a push-button opening that doesn't require too much force if placed on a flat surface. Curved edges in the compartment make it easier to use a finger to scrape the pills out, and it's colour-coded for time of day.
As the name suggests, it's extra large, comfortably fitting more than 20 Panadol tablets per compartment. But expect quite a few lids to open if it gets accidentally dropped onto a hard surface.
1st Care Weekly AM/PM Pill Box One-Touch Push-Button, $22.
1st Care Weekly AM/PM Pill Box One-Touch Push-Button
- Number of compartments: 14
- Colour-coded: Yes
- Ease of use score: 77%
- Drop test score: 50%
- Price: $22
- Website: pjsas.com.au
Another push-button, twice-a-day weekly pill box that contains generous storage space for 20+ Panadol tablets per compartment and enough space for you to scrape any tablets out with a finger.
Colour-coded for AM and PM, and the days of the week are printed in large letters. Expect quite a few lids to open if it gets accidentally dropped onto a hard surface.
Four-times-a-day weekly pill boxes
TabTimer Handi-Pill Organiser, $39.
TabTimer Handi-Pill Organiser
- Number of compartments: 28
- Colour-coded: No
- Ease of use score: 73%
- Drop test score: 100%
- Price: $39
- Website: tabtimer.com.au
This pill box has small compartments so isn't suitable for large vitamin pills (it can only fit five Panadol tablets in a compartment). However, you can detach each day's pills from the base plate for easy transport, and lift the tab to tip the pills out.
There's also an alarm clock that can signal when to take your medication (up to four times a day). The clock is also detachable and you can attach a day's tablets to it using the hooks.
Symbols indicate what time of day each tablet should be taken. They also help you make sure you attach the day's compartments the correct way up, so you don't reverse the order of tablets.
Priceline Pill Planner Four-A-Day Weekly, $18.99.
Priceline Pill Planner Four-A-Day Weekly
- Number of compartments: 28
- Colour-coded: Yes
- Ease of use score: 70%
- Drop test score: 50%
- Price: $18.99
- Website: priceline.com.au
Measuring 22cm long x 16cm wide, this isn't a pill box destined for a carry bag, but it's useful if you need to take pills multiple times a day.
The gap between the noon and evening lids is a bit narrow if you have larger fingers and are lifting the lids to these compartments. And if you're tipping pills into your hand, it may be tricky due to the box's size.
The days of the week and times of day are clearly labelled, with different colours for each time zone, and clear windows let you see what's inside the box.
The large compartments take more than 20 Panadol tablets, but you can expect a few compartments to open when dropped.
Health & Wellness Removable 7 Day Tablet Organiser Detach & Go, $10.50.
Health & Wellness Removable 7 Day Tablet Organiser Detach & Go
- Ease of use: 70%
- Drop test: 50%
- Colour-coded: No
- Price: $10.50
- Website: chemistwarehouse.com.au
You can detach a day's worth of pills from the base of this pill organiser and carry the column in your pocket or bag. It's small and light, and it's easy to pour pills out from a compartment into your palm.
There are raised Braille markings to help identify the time of day and day of the week. However, the release button on the base plate takes some effort to press compared to the individual compartments.
Expect a lot of compartments to open and columns to fall out if dropped onto a hard surface.
Travelling with a pill box
Pill boxes can be great for travel, but be careful of the compartments opening in your luggage. Keep them in another smaller bag just in case.
If you're heading overseas, a pill box can be useful when you reach your destination, but the government's Services Australia website recommends that you keep your medication in its original packaging where possible.
According to Smartraveller, overseas authorities may also need you to prove the medication is yours. A letter from your doctor stating what the medicine is, how much you're taking and that it's for personal use, is recommended.
Some common medications may be restricted or even illegal overseas. Do your research, and if necessary ask your doctor if they can recommend an alternative.
What about pre-packaged pill services?
Pharmacies can pre-package pills for you via services such as Webster-pak, where your weekly medications are portioned out into sealed blister compartments and divided by day of the week and time of day. Some are available in rolls.
Prices can start at $6 a week plus the cost of the medications.
Apart from having someone qualified to manage what can be an overwhelming process, the advantage of this system is that the pills are sealed and the clear windows mean you can see when you've taken them.
However, as with pill organisers, it's important that your GP is aware that you're using such a service, and that any prescription changes are properly communicated with the pharmacist so they can alter the contents of the pack accordingly.
It's important that your GP is aware that you're using such a service, and that any prescription changes are properly communicated with the pharmacist
Any non-prescription tablets such as vitamin supplements or medications like inhalers may not be covered by the pack either, and some medicines that could be affected by the heat-sealing process (such as soft gel caps) may not be suitable.
Apart from the ongoing cost, the packs are not reusable and they may not be suitable if your medication needs are not predictable. A study from the UK suggests that some of these services could do more harm than good: "By introducing an additional step in the dispensing process, they increase the risk of error. They should be considered as one of many options to help people take their medicines as prescribed."
How we test pill boxes
After asking the CHOICE Community about whether they use a pill box and what they find useful about them, we set about buying a range from pharmacies and department stores.
When testing pill boxes, we use Panadol and Demazin pills to assess compartments' capacity.
Ease of use
Our expert rates:
- how easy it is to open the compartments by measuring the force required
- how easy it is to remove the pills by either emptying them in your hand or scooping them out
- visual assistance, including whether the days are clearly labelled, and if the window is clear enough to see the contents.
As people's individual medications will vary, we used Panadol and Demazin Cold + Flu tablets and capsules as a standard measurement.
Drop test
Our expert also conducted drop tests from tabletop height to see whether any compartments opened. The fewer compartments that opened, the higher the drop test score.
General features
We also logged general features including dimensions, cost and the number of compartments.
Why you might need a pill box
An off-the-shelf pill box could be right for you if you're already managing your own medication successfully, but have trouble with some of the practical elements, such as opening lids or keeping track of the array of medication bottles.
You'll need a willingness to take your medication, and the ability to use a pill box independently (or be a carer managing the process for someone else).
Medical professionals advise seeing your doctor before you use a pill box or dosage administration aid (DAA) such as the pre-packaged pill pack services provided by pharmacists – the 'Webster-pak' is a common brand.
Discussing your concerns with your doctor before using a pill box is also an opportunity to review or even reduce your medication.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
