Taking Pills

After falling ill, Josh sees a doctor and is prescribed some medication. He is to take 1 pill of Xenoril and 1 pill of Yvexol every 24 hours. The two pills must be taken together, and he is strictly not to skip a dose or take extra pills.

As he takes his medication one morning, he tips the bottle of Xenoril and 1 pill falls out. However, as he tips the bottle of Yvexol, he accidentally dispenses 2 pills instead of 1. To his horror, the 3 pills in his palm look identical and he is unable to tell them apart. He needs to stick to his dosage, and he cannot throw these pills away. What can he do to ensure he gets the right dosage for the duration of his treatment?

Solution

Take out another Xenoril pill and add it to the mix. Cut each pill in half, splitting it into 2 groups. Both groups now contain 2 halves of Xenoril pills and 2 halves of Yvexol pills, amounting to 1 pill of each. He can take all the pills in one of the groups for today’s dose, and leave the other group for the next day’s dose.