We received our first question from a reader today!
Just realized I took my pill today (Wednesday) but I took the wrong day’s pill (Friday). What now? Are they pretty interchangeable at that part of the month? I take a generic version of Yaz.
Let me alleviate your concerns! Yaz is a combination birth control pill, which means there is a combination of both estrogen and progestin hormones. This is the most popular type of birth control pill and a minority of women use progestin-only pills. Among the combination birth control pills, there are many different formulations.
Yaz has 24 “active” pills, all with the same doses of both hormones, and 4 hormone-free or “placebo” pills at the end of the pack. The two active pills are the exact same. So in this case, the fact that the wrong day was punched out and taken does not make any difference. It’s just important to remember this and continue taking one active pill a day until you are back on track later this week.
For women taking other birth control pills, the response to this question would depend on the formulation. Some pills have different doses of hormones every week or sometimes the dose changes after just a couple days. Your pharmacy, doctor’s office, and community or family planning clinic are resources if you find yourself with a contraceptive mishap. When asking a question, be sure to let your pharmacist, doctor, or other clinician know which birth control pill or other method you are on…know the medication name! This way, you’ll get an answer specific to the medication you are on…and this goes for all medications, not just birth control.
Thanks for sending us your question. Don’t be shy to ask your pharmacist any questions about your birth control pills or other birth control methods. We look forward to answering many more questions!
The Pharmacists Clinic 
I’m taking Yaz birth control pills and I’m onto my second packet now first week in. I haven’t missed any pills so far at all and have taken them all at the same time every day. However I had sex with my partner on Saturday and I didn’t realise that I missed my Saturday pill and took it 90mins later than usual. Is this going to affect anything? Will the contraceptive still work if I was 90mins late??
Hi Kat, Great question! There is a tiny bit of wiggle room so your birth control should be just as effective if you were just 90 minutes late on a dose. Keep up the consistent schedule!
I got my period on the 11th of sept.
And I started taking the yaz pill on the 22nd of sept. Am I taking it wrong?
Birth control pills can be started anytime. Just be sure to use another method of birth control like condoms for the first seven days. It’s important to take the pill at the same time and take it every day for it to work.
i’m taking althea pill. it’s my first time taking it. My period starts at Monday and I took the first pill which is Sunday… can you tell me if I’m doing it wrong? thanks.
Make sure you use the date stickers to keep you on track! Call your pharmacist or health care provider with any questions about your particular product and schedule.