Short answer: Tablets can have strict rules about food, water, timing and splitting, and they differ from one medicine to the next. Read the label, take doses at the same time each day, follow the leaflet's missed-dose rule, and ask your pharmacist before splitting a tablet or moving it into a pill organizer.
The FDA advises reading the label every time you take a prescription or over-the-counter medicine, and talking to your doctor or pharmacist about what you take. Your prescription comes with a pharmacy label and often a patient leaflet or Medication Guide. Your dose and schedule come from your prescriber.
Some medicines are taken with food and some on an empty stomach. There is no single rule.
A strict example: Rybelsus (oral semaglutide). Its label says take the tablet on an empty stomach in the morning with no more than 4 ounces of plain water, no other drinks. Then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking anything else, or taking other medicines by mouth.
If you are not sure, MedlinePlus advises asking your provider or pharmacist before taking a medicine with food.
Some tablets must never be split. The Rybelsus label says swallow it whole; do not split, crush, chew or dissolve it.
The FDA says a tablet approved for splitting will say so in the "How Supplied" section of its label and in the patient insert, and will have a score line. If the label says nothing, the FDA has not checked whether the halves are equal. Its other points:
MedlinePlus suggests taking medicines along with things already in your day, such as meals, and keeping them in the same easy-to-reach place. Dose Track reminders can do the remembering; set them for the time your prescriber or label says.
Missed-dose rules differ by medicine, so check the "if you miss a dose" line in your leaflet or ask your pharmacist. Do not take extra to catch up unless your label or prescriber says to.
For example, the Rybelsus label says skip a missed dose and take the next one the following day. If you take too much, its Medication Guide says call your provider or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, or go to the nearest emergency room. More examples: missed dose guides.
Store each medicine the way its label says. The Rybelsus label, for example, says keep the tablets at 68 to 77 °F (20 to 25 °C), dry, in the original closed bottle until you take one, and not in any other container. Keep the original bottle and its pharmacy label, and keep all medicines out of reach of children.
A pillbox makes it easy to see whether you took today's dose, and MedlinePlus suggests keeping it somewhere handy. But not every medicine belongs in one: Rybelsus has to stay in its original bottle. Check the label or ask your pharmacist first.
The FDA describes three kinds: a medicine with another medicine, with food or drink, and with a health condition you have. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about everything you take, including vitamins, supplements and herbal products.
One label example: taking Rybelsus at the same time as levothyroxine (a thyroid medicine) raised levothyroxine exposure by about 33%.
The FDA says a drug take-back option (a drop-off site or prepaid mail-back envelope) is best for most unused medicines. Only flush a medicine if it is on the FDA flush list. Otherwise, mix it (do not crush pills) with something unappealing like used coffee grounds or cat litter, seal it in a bag, and put it in the trash. Scratch out your details on the bottle label.
See also: Rybelsus label guide · Missed a Rybelsus dose · Set up reminders in Dose Track