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What is considered a "missed dose"?

Page last modified on: October 10, 2008
Question from Francesca: I am taking Femara (2.5 mg daily). On the bottle, it states that if I miss a dose, contact your doctor immediately. I take it around the same time every day, but what do they mean if I "miss a dose"? As in 24 hours, 12 hours, etc.? Basically, what I am asking, how long do I have before it's considered missing a dose?
Answers —Patricia Ganz, M.D.: We would like our patients to take their medications regularly, as prescribed, but we are all human, and often will miss a dose which would mean a daily medication in this case. You do not need to contact your doctor if you miss a dose. But what we're more concerned about is if you stop taking the medication altogether.
Lillie Shockney, R.N., B.S., M.A.S.: It is valuable to try to take it at the same time of day. That would help with adhering to a schedule so you remember to take it, and so you're spacing the doses 24 hours apart on average, rather than taking it at bedtime today and at breakfast tomorrow.

On Wednesday, August 15, 2007, the Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Managing Ongoing Medications. Patricia Ganz, M.D. and moderator Lillie Shockney, R.N., B.S., M.A.S. answered your questions about staying on track with breast cancer medications you have to take on a regular basis.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Patricia A. Ganz, M.D.Patricia A. Ganz, M.D. is a medical oncologist and a professor in the schools of medicine and public health at UCLA, and is director of the division of cancer prevention and control research at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center there.

Lillie Shockney, RN., BS., M.A.S.Lillie Shockney, R.N., B.S., M.A.S. is the administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center.

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