Tests of pill boxes, alarms and automatic dispensers
A team of six professionals and two users assessed a range of pill boxes, reminders, alarm systems and automatic pill dispensers; we reviewed 17 memory-aid products in all. The reviewers looked at a number of features, including the points mentioned in our list of things to look out for, and noted how useful each memory aid would be for people with different disabilities to remember to take their medicine.
In the lab, we dropped each aid on to a hard floor 26 times to see how it would stand up to accidents.
The results are given below, in the following categories and then by order of price:
- Pill boxes
- Alarms
- Alarm systems (alarm + pill box)
- Automatic pill dispensers
Prices shown include VAT and were correct at the time of our last update (February 2017). Products are rated as poor (☆☆☆), average (★☆☆), good (★★☆) or very good (★★★).
Pill boxes
Pillmate Day Out

Price |
£1.89 |
---|
Features |
- 4 compartments
- flip open
- no record card
|
---|
Summary |
- simple and cheap way to organise your pills for the day
- compartments small and hard to open
|
---|
Good if you... |
know what pills you have to take |
---|
Not good if you... |
have difficulty understanding - you could take your pills in the wrong order |
---|
Easy to use |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★☆☆ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★☆ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★★★ |
---|
Pillmate Large 7 Day

Price |
£4.65 |
---|
Features |
- 7 compartments
- flip open
- no record card
|
---|
Summary |
- simple and cheap way to organise your pills for the week, if you only take them once a day
- hard to open
|
---|
Good if you... |
take daily supplements; also good if you are going on holiday, perhaps |
---|
Not good if you... |
have weak hands |
---|
Easy to use |
★★☆ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★★ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★☆☆ |
---|
Pillmate Twice Daily


Price |
£7.00 |
---|
Features |
- 7 x 2 compartments
- flip open
- no record card
|
---|
Summary |
- simple and cheap way to organise your pills for the week, if you only take them twice a day
- compartments small and hard to open
|
---|
Good if you... |
are out and about a lot |
---|
Not good if you... |
have weak hands or have a visual impairment |
---|
Easy to use |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★☆☆ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★☆ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★★★ |
---|
Pillmate Multi Dose Weekly


Price |
£7.50 |
---|
Features |
- 7 x 4 compartments
- slide open
- record card
|
---|
Summary |
- simple and cheap way to organise your pills for the week
- compartments quite small and hard to open
|
---|
Good if you... |
get confused about your pills; also good if you use it at home, perhaps |
---|
Not good if you... |
have weak hands or have a visual impairment |
---|
Easy to use |
★☆☆ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★☆ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★★★ |
---|
Tabtime Wallet


Price |
£6.99 - £17.99 |
---|
Features |
- 7 x 4 compartments
- flip open
- no record card (though there is a pocket for one)
|
---|
Summary |
- neat way to carry your pills for a week
- easy to get your pills in and out
- watch out for the daily boxes falling out of the wallet
|
---|
Good if you... |
are out and about a lot |
---|
Not good if you... |
might get confused if the boxes fall out |
---|
Easy to use |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★★☆ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★★ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★★★ |
---|
Alarms
Cadex

Price |
£59.95 - £143.99 |
---|
Features |
- digital watch with 12 alarms
- stores information about medical conditions, allergies, blood type, doctors name, contacts
|
---|
Summary |
- discreet way to remind yourself of something, though you have to know what the alarm is for
- doesn't store or organise pills
|
---|
Good if you... |
have to do the same thing at regular intervals each day; also good if you don't hear well |
---|
Not good if you... |
might get confused |
---|
Easy to use |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★☆☆ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★★ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★★★ |
---|
Vibralite 8

Price |
£55.14 - £66.00 |
---|
Features |
- digital watch with 8 alarms and countdown timer
- vibrating alarm
|
---|
Summary |
- discreet way to remind yourself of something, though you have to know what the alarm is for
- doesn't store or organise pills
|
---|
Good if you... |
have to do the same thing at regular intervals each day; also good if you don't hear well |
---|
Not good if you... |
might get confused |
---|
Easy to use |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★☆☆ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★★ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★★★ |
---|
Mem-X


Price |
£110.40 - £203.94 |
---|
Features |
- portable reminding device
|
---|
Summary |
- very versatile - you can record up to 90 messages to play at fixed times daily, weekly or monthly or at one-off times and dates
- doesn't store or organise pills
|
---|
Good if you... |
have difficulty remembering things; also good for children |
---|
Not good if you... |
might get confused |
---|
Easy to use |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★★☆ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★☆ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★★☆ |
---|
Alarm systems (alarm + pill box)
PivoTell MiniTell

Price |
£19.14 - £22.02 |
---|
Features |
- 5 compartments
- twist open
- built-in clock with 5 alarms
- vibrating alarm
- no record card
|
---|
Summary |
- neat way to take your pills out for the day, with a built-in alarm to remind you to take them
- difficult to open
|
---|
Good if you... |
can organise your own pills, and are out and about in the day |
---|
Not good if you... |
might get confused; have weak hands; or might drop it |
---|
Easy to use |
★☆☆ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★★ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
☆☆☆ |
---|
Automatic pill dispensers
Medready


Price |
£318.76 |
---|
Features |
- 28 compartments
- automatic opening
- 4 sound and light alarms
- record card
- lockable
- mains operated (with backup battery)
- telecare option
|
---|
Summary |
- useful way of organising your pills a week or more in advance and
reminding you when to take them
- quite clear and easy to understand
- not very flexible
- very large (30cm / 12" across)
|
---|
Good if you... |
are at home on your own much of the time, and need a lot of help remembering your pills |
---|
Not good if you... |
are out and about a lot |
---|
Easy to use |
★★★ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★★☆ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★☆ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★★☆ |
---|
PivoTell MK3 Automatic Pill Dispenser



Price |
£120.60 |
---|
Features |
- 28 compartments
- automatic opening
- 4 sound and light alarms
- record card
- lockable
- low-battery alert
- telecare option
|
---|
Summary |
- useful way of organising your pills a week or more in advance and reminding you when to take them
- clear and easy to understand
- not very flexible
- you have to pick it up and tip it to get the pills out (though a tipper is available to help)
|
---|
Good if you... |
are at home on your own much of the time, and need a lot of help remembering your pills |
---|
Not good if you... |
are out and about a lot |
---|
Easy to use |
★★☆ |
---|
Easy to understand how it works |
★★☆ |
---|
Easy to fill |
★★★ |
---|
Secure (if dropped) |
★☆☆ |
---|
Last updated: February 2017
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