Buddy for medication reminders
Tell me what to remind you about, what time, and when to stop. I’ll text you then, and you do the checking.
A retired teacher in Santa Cruz, California, the first night her mom is in the spare room after surgery.
Tell me what, when, and until when. I’ll text you at that time, and you can change or stop it whenever you like.
- Remind me every morning at 7:30 to set out Mom’s pills, until I say stop.
- Move the 8 o’clock reminder to 9 starting tomorrow.
- What reminders do I have right now?
- Today 7:52 PM
- You: mom’s staying with us for a few weeks after her surgery. can you remind me every night at 8 to check that she took her pills?
- Buddy: Yes. Every night at 8, starting tonight. Should I stop on a certain day?
- You: she goes home the 30th
- Buddy: Got it. Every night at 8 through the 30th.
- 8:00 PM
- Buddy: It’s 8. Time to check that your mom took her evening pills 💊
- You: she did. can you also remind me on the 24th to call in her refill
- Buddy: Sure. What time on the 24th?
- You: 9am Buddy liked this.
- Buddy: Done. You’ve got two now: every night at 8 through the 30th, and the refill call on the 24th at 9 a.m.
Tell me what to remind you about, what time, and when to stop. I’ll text you then, and you do the checking.
From one text to a reminder every night
Say what, when, and until when
“Every night at 8 until the 30th” is enough. Nothing has to stay open on your computer.
I text you at that time
Each reminder says what it’s for. I don’t check on anyone or know whether a pill was taken. You do the checking.
Change it by asking
Ask me to move the time, pause it, or stop it, in the conversation where you set it up. In the VXBE desktop app, Settings, then Scheduled work, lists them too.
More you can ask for
- Remind me every night at 8 to check that Mom took her pills.
- Pause the nightly reminder while she’s at my brother’s, and start it again Monday.
- Remind me on the 24th at 9 to call in Mom’s refill.
- Every Sunday at 6, remind me to fill her pill organizer for the week.
- I’m in Denver until Friday, so send Mom’s pill reminders on Mountain time.
- Stop Mom’s reminders. She’s home now.
What you get back
A text at the time you picked
Every day, every week, or once. I use the time zone I know for you, so tell me when you’re traveling.
Reminders and ongoing workIt stops when you said
Give me an end date and the reminders end then. Ask me to stop sooner and the rest are removed.
Everything in one place
Ask what’s scheduled and I’ll list it. You can also ask whether a particular reminder went out.
Nothing to leave open
Reminders run online. Your computer can be off and the VXBE desktop app closed.
Ways to talk to Buddy
Mom’s reminders
24th
- 9 AM Call in refill
- 8 PM Check Mom’s pills
25th
- 8 PM Check Mom’s pills
26th
- 8 PM Check Mom’s pills
27th
- 8 PM Check Mom’s pills
28th
- 8 PM Check Mom’s pills
29th
- 8 PM Check Mom’s pills
30th
- 8 PM Check Mom’s pills
Questions people ask
Does Buddy know whether she took them?
No. The reminder goes to you, and Buddy knows only what you tell him. He doesn’t confirm that anything was taken, and he isn’t a nurse or pharmacist, so he won’t say whether a medication or a dose is right.
How do I change the time or stop it?
Ask Buddy in the conversation where you set it up. He can change the time, pause it, resume it, or remove future reminders. In the VXBE desktop app, Settings, then Scheduled work, lists them too.
If I text STOP, do the reminders stop?
No. In iMessage, STOP turns off only the messages Buddy starts on his own. A reminder you asked for keeps going until you ask him to remove it.
What if I’m traveling?
Buddy uses the time zone he knows for you. Tell him where you’re going and when you’ll be back, so the reminders come at the time you mean.
What if a reminder doesn’t come?
Ask Buddy whether that reminder went out and what happened. A quiet phone isn’t proof that it ran.