Medication in daily life

Clock change and medication: how should you adjust doses?

What to do about medication doses when the clocks change in autumn or spring, and which treatments need more care.

IMA Health editorial team Oct 24, 2026

In short

For most treatments, simply take the medication at the same clock time on the new time.
A one hour difference usually has no consequences, but do not double up or skip doses to compensate.
Medicines where timing is critical, such as those for Parkinson's, epilepsy or insulin, deserve a check with the doctor or pharmacist beforehand.
In Spain, summer time in 2026 ends on Sunday 25 October: at 3:00 the clocks go back to 2:00.

When the clocks change, in almost all cases the simplest and safest approach is to keep taking medication at the usual time on the new clock. If your mother takes a tablet at 9:00, she will keep taking it at 9:00 on the new time. The one hour difference is absorbed within a day or two.

The exception is treatment where punctuality is critical or which is closely tied to meals and sleep. In those cases it is best to ask the doctor or pharmacist beforehand.

What will you find in this article?

When do the clocks change in Spain?
Do you need to change the time of your tablets?
Which medicines need more care?
How should you prepare for the change at home?
A practical example: Julián, Parkinson's and the October change
How can IMA Health help?

When do the clocks change in Spain?

In Spain, summer time in 2026 ends on Sunday 25 October: at 3:00 in the morning the clocks go back to 2:00 (in the Canary Islands, from 2:00 to 1:00). That day lasts 25 hours. This is set by Order PCM/186/2022, published in the BOE (Spain's official gazette).

It is not the last planned change: in March 2026 the European Commission published the calendar for 2027 to 2031.

Change	Date	What happens to the clock
End of summer time 2026	25 October 2026	Goes back one hour
Start of summer time 2027	28 March 2027	Goes forward one hour
End of summer time 2027	31 October 2027	Goes back one hour

Do you need to change the time of your tablets?

For most medicines no special adjustment is needed: they are taken at the usual time on the new clock. The important thing is to keep the routine and not improvise.

Do not take an extra dose because the October day has an extra hour.
Do not skip a dose because the March day is an hour shorter.
Change the time on phone alarms or electronic pill dispenser reminders if they do not update automatically.
If you have doubts about a particular dose, check the leaflet or ask the pharmacist.

Which medicines need more care?

For some medicines timing is critical: delaying or skipping a dose can have serious consequences. An NHS guidance note on time critical medicines lists, among others, epilepsy, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, clotting disorders and transplant recipients taking immunosuppressants.

Type of treatment	Why it needs attention
Parkinson's	Delays can worsen movement symptoms
Antiepileptics	Late or missed doses can trigger seizures
Insulin and other diabetes medicines	They are linked to meals and to the risk of hypoglycaemia
Immunosuppressants after a transplant	They need regular intervals

In these cases, ask the doctor or pharmacist whether to keep to the clock time or spread the change over several days. Do not change the regimen on your own.

How should you prepare for the change at home?

The key is to plan a couple of days ahead and review how doses are organised. That way the change goes almost unnoticed, including for older people with many medicines.

Review the medication list and mark those with critical timing.
Ask the pharmacist about those medicines before the weekend of the change.
Adjust clocks, alarms and electronic pill dispensers the night before.
Keep mealtimes and bedtime as stable as possible.
Over the following days, check that no doses are left over or missing.

If you want to review your organisation, how to organise a weekly pill organiser may help.

A practical example: Julián, Parkinson's and the October change

Let us take the case of Julián, 80, who has Parkinson's and high blood pressure and takes 8 medicines in total, and lives with his wife. His son knows the clocks change on Sunday.

On Thursday he phones the pharmacy and asks what to do about the Parkinson's medication.
He follows the pharmacist's advice and leaves the other medicines at the usual time on the new clock.
On Saturday night he changes the kitchen clock and the phone alarms.
During the week, his wife notes whether she sees more stiffness or tremor and, if so, they mention it to the neurologist.

How can IMA Health help?

When medication is prepared by day and time of day, the clock change is easier to manage. IMA Health coordinates with a specialised pharmacy that prepares each dose by day and time, delivers it to the home and provides personalised follow-up. It is also worth reviewing the common mistakes when organising medication.

Sources

This article is for information only and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist.