What If I Miss a Birth Control Pill?

It's important to take your pills every day at the same time each day for the Pill to be most effective and to help prevent side effects like breakthrough bleeding and spotting. But if something happens and you forget to take one or more pills, don't panic. Just use the chart and pill pack visual below to figure out what to do.

white, light blue,
or dark blue
“active” pill

white or light blue
“active” pills in a row (week 1 or week 2)

dark blue “active”
pills in a row
(week 3)

or more white, light blue, or dark blue “active” pills in a row

An inactive “green” pill

Take it as soon as you
remember and take the
next pill at your regular
time. (You may have to
take 2 pills in 1 day)

Take 2 pills the day you
remember and 2 pills the
next day. Then take 1 pill
a day until you finish the
pack.

Sunday Starters:
Take 1 pill a day until
Sunday. Then throw
away the pack and start
a new one.

Day 1 Starters:
Throw away the old pack
and start a new pack
immediately.*

Sunday Starters:
Take 1 pill a day until
Sunday. Then throw away
the pack and start a new
one.

Day 1 Starters:
Throw away the old pack
and start a new pack
immediately.

Throw away the pills you
missed. Keep taking 1
pill a day until the pack is
empty.

No backup birth control
method is needed.

You MUST use a backup
birth control method
during the next 7 days.

You MUST use a backup
birth control method
during the next 7 days.

You MUST use a
backup birth control
method during the next
7 days.

No backup birth control
method is needed.

The 28-pill pack contains 21 "active" pills (7 each of white, light blue and dark blue) that contain hormones that you take for 3 weeks, followed by 1 week of “inactive” pills (green) that don't contain hormones.

Week 1: White “active” pills
Week 2: Light blue “active” pills
Week 3: Dark blue “active” pills
Week 4: Green “inactive” pills

*You may not have your period this month. If you miss your period 2 months in a row, call your healthcare professional—you might be pregnant.

Miss 2 Pills? Use Backup

It's important to note that if you miss 2 or more “active” pills in a row, you could become pregnant if you have sex in the next 7 days. So you need to use a backup method of birth control, such as condoms or spermicide.

Still Not Sure?

If you're still uncertain about what to do about pills you missed, use a backup birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) and keep taking one “active” pill each day until you can speak with your healthcare professional.

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