How do you take a prescription 3x or 4x a day?

If your prescription says three times a day or four times a day – how many hours apart is that? What does 3x or 4x a day really mean?

You may be surprised to learn that 3 times a day and 4 times a day are not standardized terms nor do they correspond to specific time intervals in hours. They are more an English translation from the Latin TID (stands for ter in die which translates to three times a day) or QID (stands for quater in die which translates to four times a day) that doctors will write on a prescription so a pharmacist can write instructions on the label about how many times to take it. See our article Medical Abbreviations on Pharmacy Prescriptions for more information on medical abbreviations.

If you have a 3 times a day medication schedule or a 4 times a day medication schedule then read on to find out how to take it.

How often do I take a medicine that says 3 times a day? Does 3 times a day mean every 8 hours?

If you are told to take a medicine 3 times a day, then that usually means to take it at close to even intervals while you are awake. It does not mean you have to get up in the middle of the night to take your medicine unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you to do so.

For example, if you have been told to take your medicine 3 times a day and you usually wake up at 7am and go to bed at 10pm then the best time to take a medicine 3 times a day would be:

• 7 am (when you wake up)
• 2 pm (early afternoon)
• 9 pm (just before you go to bed).

If you have been told to take your medicine 3 times a day WITH FOOD, the best time to take a medicine 3 times a day with food would be:

• With breakfast
• With lunch
• With dinner.

A medicine written three times daily has enough leeway in its dosing regimen that taking the medication an hour or two earlier or later will not affect the medication’s effectiveness. If a doctor has intended you to take the medicine at strict intervals then they will usually say “every 8 hours” sometimes with exact instructions, such as 7 am / 3 pm / 11 pm.

But it is important to note that some hospitals do standardize their times for taking medicine three times a day, and this helps with staff scheduling. For example, Shand’s Hospital, part of the University of Florida has the following standardized times for 3 times a day:

• 9 am
• 2 pm
• 9 pm.

But for psychiatric patients, the standardized times differ and are:

• 8 am
• 12 noon
• 5 pm.

Taking a medicine 3 times a day means simply splitting your dosages up roughly in an even manner during the hours you are awake, unless your doctor or pharmacist has specified otherwise.

How many hours apart is 3 times a day?

A medicine written 3 times daily should roughly be taken every 7 hours apart while you are awake assuming you wake up at 7am and go to bed at 10pm. If you wake up or go to bed at different times then you will need to adjust the time interval between doses but the instruction “3 times a day” has enough leeway in its dosing regimen that taking the medication an hour or two earlier or later will not affect the medication’s effectiveness.

If a doctor has intended you to take the medicine at strict intervals then they will usually say “every 8 hours” sometimes with exact instructions, such as 7 am / 3 pm / 11 pm.

How often do I take a medicine that says 4 times a day? Does 4 times a day mean every 6 hours?

Taking a medicine 4 times a day is not so easy for a person at home to do, and fortunately, there aren’t many drugs that need precise dosing 4 times a day.

If you are told to take a medicine 4 times a day, then that usually means to take it at close to even intervals while you are awake. It does not mean you have to get up in the middle of the night to take your medicine, unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically said to.

For example, if you have been told to take your medicine 4 times a day and you usually wake up at 7am and go to bed at 10pm then an appropriate way to take the medicine would be:

• 7 am (when you wake up)
• 12 noon (midday)
• 4 pm (late afternoon)
• 9 pm (just before you go to bed).

If you have been told to take your medicine 4 times a day WITH FOOD, then an appropriate way to take the medicine would be:

• With breakfast
• With lunch
• With dinner
• With a late evening snack just before going to bed.

A medicine written four times daily has enough leeway in its dosing regimen that taking the medication an hour or two earlier or later will not affect the medication’s effectiveness. If a doctor has intended you to take the medicine at strict intervals then they will usually say “every 6 hours” or sometimes with exact instructions, such as 7 am /1 pm /7 pm/ 1 am.

But it is important to note that some hospitals do standardize their times for taking medicine four times a day, and this helps with staff scheduling. For example, Shand’s Hospital, part of the University of Florida has the following standardized times for 4 times a day:

• 9 am
• 1 pm
• 5 pm
• 9 pm.

Taking a medicine 4 times a day simply means to split your dosages up roughly in an even manner during the hours you are awake, unless your doctor or pharmacist has specified otherwise.

How many hours apart is 4 times a day?

A medicine written 4 times daily should roughly be taken 4 or 5 hours apart while you are awake assuming you wake up at 7 am and go to bed at 10 pm, for example:

• 7 am (when you wake up)
• 12 noon (midday)
• 4 pm (late afternoon)
• 9 pm (just before you go to bed).

If you wake up or go to bed at different times then you will need to adjust the time interval between doses but the instruction “4 times a day” has enough leeway in its dosing regimen that taking the medication an hour or two earlier or later will not affect the medication’s effectiveness.

If a doctor has intended you to take the medicine at strict intervals then they will usually say “every 6 hours” or sometimes with exact instructions, such as 7 am / 1 pm / 7 pm / 1 am.