What should I do if I miss a pill (combined pill)?
What if I have missed 1 pill?
If you have missed 1 pill anywhere in the pack or started a new pack 1 day late, you’re still protected against pregnancy.
You should:
- take the last pill you missed now, even if this means taking 2 pills in 1 day
- carry on taking the rest of the pack as normal
- take your 7-day pill-free break as normal, or if you’re on an everyday (ED) pill, take your dummy (inactive) pills
You do not need to use extra contraception.
What if I have missed 2 or more pills?
If you have missed 2 or more pills anywhere in the pack or started a new pack 2 or more days late (48 hours or more), your protection against pregnancy may be affected.
You should:
- take the last pill you missed now, even if this means taking 2 pills in 1 day
- leave any earlier missed pills
- carry on taking the rest of the pack as normal
- use extra contraception, such as condoms, for the next 7 days
When you come to the end of your pill pack, after missing 2 or more pills:
- if there are 7 or more pills left in the pack after the last missed pill – finish the pack, take your 7-day pill-free break as normal, or take your inactive pills before you start your next pack
- if there are less than 7 pills left in the pack after the missed pill – finish the pack and start a new pack the next day; this means missing out the pill-free break or not taking your inactive pills
You may also need emergency contraception if you have missed 2 or more pills in the first week of a pack and had unprotected sex in the previous 7 days.
What if I’m not sure what to do?
If you’re not sure what to do:
- continue to take your pill
- use another method of contraception, such as condoms
- get advice as soon as possible
Why this advice may be different from the advice in your contraceptive leaflet
You may find the advice on this page differs from advice provided in the contraceptive manufacturer’s patient information leaflets.
The information on this page is based on recommendations issued by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA).
The recommendations are evidence-based, which means they’re supported by a large amount of scientific research.
These recommendations are used in the FPA’s combined pill patient information leaflet.
The manufacturer’s advice may be more cautious and say there’s a risk of pregnancy if you have missed 1 pill or a pill is taken more than 12 hours after the usual time.
Page last reviewed: 14 February 2019
Next review due: 14 February 2022