Medical Oncologist
Taking Osimertinib
Taking Osimertinib: — Food, Timing and What to Do If You Miss a Dose
Osimertinib is taken once a day, at the same time each day, with or without food. Getting the routine right matters — this page covers timing, meals, missed doses and when to call your team.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla, Medical Oncologist, MBBS · MD · DM (Adyar, Chennai) · ECMO · MRCP SCE (UK) · Last reviewed August 2026
- Same time every day — A fixed daily time helps maintain a steady level of the drug in your body.
- Food does not matter — You can take osimertinib with or without a meal — whichever fits your routine.
- Swallow whole — Do not crush, split or chew the tablet. If swallowing is difficult, ask your team about an approved alternative.
- Missing one dose has a rule — Whether to take a missed dose depends on how close you are to your next scheduled dose.
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Osimertinib is taken as one tablet once daily, at the same time each day, with or without food. Swallow it whole. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember — unless your next dose is due soon, in which case skip it and carry on as normal. Never double up.
How do you take osimertinib correctly?
Choose a fixed time and keep it
Pick a time of day you can stick to — morning, midday or evening. Keeping a consistent time maintains a steady level of the drug in your body throughout treatment.
Take with or without food
Food does not affect how osimertinib is absorbed, so take it with a meal or on an empty stomach, whichever fits your day. Avoid grapefruit and Seville oranges, including their juices, as these can interfere with how the drug is processed.
Swallow the tablet whole
Do not crush, split or chew it. If swallowing is difficult, tell your oncologist or pharmacist before trying anything else — there is a clinically approved way to disperse the tablet in water, and your team will show you how.
Store it correctly
Keep osimertinib at room temperature, away from moisture and heat. Store it in its original packaging and out of reach of children. Do not keep it in the bathroom.
Return unused tablets to a pharmacy
Do not dispose of unused or expired tablets in household waste. Return them to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
What should you do if you miss a dose?
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You remember well before your next scheduled dose | Take the missed tablet now, then continue your normal daily schedule |
| You remember close to the time of your next dose | Skip the missed dose entirely — take the next one at its usual time |
| You vomited shortly after swallowing the tablet | Do not take a replacement dose. Count it as taken and resume as normal the next day |
| You are unsure which situation applies | Call your oncology team before doing anything. Do not guess or take a double dose |
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Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
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MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
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Tell your team before and during treatment
- All other medicines you take, including supplements and over-the-counter tablets — several drugs can raise or lower osimertinib levels in your blood
- Any traditional, herbal or Ayurvedic preparations, particularly anything containing St John's Wort
- A skin rash, even a mild one — it is common and much easier to manage when caught early
- Any new shortness of breath or dry cough that was not there before you started treatment
- Changes in your vision, including blurred vision or light sensitivity
- Heart palpitations or dizziness — osimertinib can affect the heart's electrical rhythm in some people
- If you are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding
- Any difficulty swallowing the tablet, before you try crushing or splitting it yourself
Does it matter which other medicines you take alongside osimertinib?
Yes. Some medicines can raise or lower the level of osimertinib in your blood, which affects how well it works or increases the risk of side effects.
Medicines most often flagged include certain antifungals, antibiotics, anticonvulsants and stomach acid drugs. This is not a complete list — your pharmacist or oncologist will check your full medicine list when you start treatment.
St John's Wort significantly reduces osimertinib levels and should not be taken during treatment. Always tell your team before you stop or start anything, including remedies that seem unrelated to cancer.
Did you know?
Osimertinib is a third-generation EGFR inhibitor — designed specifically to overcome the resistance that earlier EGFR drugs eventually ran into.
It also penetrates into the brain more effectively than earlier drugs in the same class, which is a clinically meaningful difference for patients whose cancer has spread to, or is at risk of spreading to, the brain.
Source: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines; NCCN Guidelines for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I take osimertinib at night instead of in the morning?
Yes — there is no required time of day. What matters is that you take it at the same time every day. Many people choose morning because it is easier to link to an existing habit; others prefer evening. Pick whichever time you are most reliably able to stick to. If you want to shift the time by a few hours, ask your team whether to move it gradually or all at once.
What happens if I miss doses regularly?
Osimertinib works by maintaining a steady level in your body from day to day. An occasional missed dose managed correctly is unlikely to cause a major problem, but regular gaps can reduce how well treatment controls the cancer. If remembering is difficult, tell your team — a pill organiser, a phone alarm, or tying the dose to a fixed daily habit can help. Do not try to compensate by taking extra on days you do remember.
I feel nauseous after taking it. Can I take it differently?
Taking osimertinib with a small amount of food — even a biscuit or a few crackers — can reduce nausea, even though food does not affect absorption. If nausea is severe or is stopping you from keeping the tablet down, tell your team before the next dose. There are effective anti-nausea medicines, and your team may also look at whether the timing of your dose is contributing.
What should I do if I run out of tablets before my next appointment?
Contact your oncology team or the hospital pharmacy as soon as you realise you are running low — do not wait until you have taken your last tablet. Osimertinib requires a prescription and cannot be obtained at a general pharmacy without one. Running short is a routine situation for the team to manage, and they would rather hear from you early than have you miss days of treatment.
Can I drink alcohol while on osimertinib?
Alcohol is not specifically prohibited, but moderate or heavy drinking can worsen some side effects — particularly fatigue, nausea and liver stress. Ask your oncologist what is reasonable given your overall treatment and general health. This is worth raising directly rather than assuming a blanket rule applies to everyone.