In the Case of a Missed Birth Control Pill

Birth control pills are hormonal oral drugs, typically used as female contraceptives. The standard dose for this method is one pill a day, taken at the same time daily. These are taken for three weeks in a month, except the week of menstruation. Some packages contain 28 pills – 21 hormonal pills (active) for the three weeks and 7 non-hormonal (placebos) for the menstrual week.

In case you forget to take your pill according to the schedule, your chances of getting pregnant increase. This is true in the case of active pills. Missing a placebo does not have any impact. Depending upon the length of time passed since the last regular dose and the week, other contraceptive methods may or may not be required. The risk of pregnancy runs the highest when you miss the pills either at the start of a new set or during the third week (the week immediately before the menstrual date).

Steps to take if a birth control pill is missed: If you miss one dose or start with a new set a day late, take one dose as soon as you remember that you have skipped a pill and then take the next dose at the scheduled time.

If you miss two doses, or start with a new set two days late: Take two pills as soon as you realize that you have skipped the doses, or:
- Take the missed birth control pill(s) at a gap of 12 hours and take two pills at the next scheduled time, depending upon the time when you come to know about the lapse
- Take one of the two skipped pills on the third and fourth days along with the scheduled doses
- Take the next dose on regular schedule and discard the missed pills
- Use a backup contraceptive measures like condoms, abstinence etc., for at least next seven days continuously

If you miss three or more doses or start with a new pack three or more days late:
- Discard the missed pills and start taking the remaining scheduled ones.
- Use a backup contraceptive such as condoms, abstinence etc., until the onset of your next menstruation period.

If you missed the pill in the first week:
- Resort to emergency contraceptive pills, in addition to the above mentioned remedial measures.

If you missed the pill in the third week:
- Start a new set of pills as soon as you finish the active pills from the current set. This implies that there should be no gap or placebos in the menstruation week, rather you should start with the new set of “active” pills.

On any given day, no more than two pills can be taken. The packages of 28 pills are designed such that a user does not go out of the habit of taking the doses on time. If you still miss the dosages, you should better look for other options. The thumb rule for oral contraception is minimum 21 days of the continuous intake of active pills and maximum seven days of gap in between 2 courses. In the case of any complications, or doubts, it is always advisable to consult your physician.

Learn more about our Phoenix Birth Control Clinical Trial