This - in fact this question just reminded me to take mine, which I did sat at my desk.

in a previous position, I was dinged by HR for doing just that. So, it varies from office to office.

@RichardU did they have a designated "safe place" to do it? I would be open to adding to my answer

@SaggingRufus yes, they had a medical area. I was told not to take any meds at my desk and instead take them at the medical station.

@RichardU I added a quick note about checking for a designated area.

I also take medication daily and at one of my previous workplaces, people were really nosy about what I was taking. They were either ask persistently about what I was taking or steal glances at the bottle. Solution (I mean besides switching jobs or reporting the nosy characters)? Put all of your meds in empty vitamin bottles. Discreet and easy.

@RichardU They dinged you for just taking some pills at your desk? That seems utterly bizarre.

@jcmack - You REALLY don't want to do that (put them in unmarked bottle). If they're any sort of controlled substance, and they're not in a bottle with a prescription label with your name on them, police can overreact.

This is mostly correct, but I would argue that the type of medication you are taking may concern your employer depending on your role. For example, if you are taking medication that may cause drowsiness, you should not be driving a truck for 8 hours per day. Any decent employer would make sure that your medication does not affect your ability to do your job (not directly your boss, HR may do this)

@DavidK yeah, this was a terrible employer. I've had some real winners, so if at times I seem overly cautious or pessimistic, that's why.

@Horkrine I'm pretty sure that in the US, it would be illegal for an employer to ask what medications you're on.

@DavidRice not true at all. If you are in certain jobs, you have to list ALL medications you are on.

@Horkrine Correct, DOT regulations, for example. You must disclose your medications, and all medical conditions.

@WesleyLong I didn't say unmarked bottle. I said vitamin bottle. If you are able to provide a valid prescription, it doesn't matter if your medicine is in its original bottle or a plastic bag. I've NEVER had an issue with this at work or traveling internationally. And my medicine is a controlled substance.

@jcmack If the label on the bottle doesn't accurately reflect its contents, it may as well be unmarked.

@chepner I'd say putting them in an incorrectly marked container is way worse. Imagine somebody else mistakenly taking one believing they are vitamin pills.

@jcmack because yeah, if someone sees your bottle of vitamins and goes "hey it's a harmless substance, I will steal one, I forgot to take my own vitamin this morning, I happen to take the same", the person who ends up taking your medication will definitely be happy it wasn't in an unmarked bottle. Or if you end up in the ER, unconscious, and the practician needs to know what you take on a regular basis but can only find a bottle of vitamins.... seriously this is dangerous :/

Folks -- use a pill calendar. You know, those things with 7 compartments, 1 per day... Some of them have 7 modules that each have 3-4 compartments, and you can just take today's module. This obscures your pills 100% (and helps with compliance). There is absolutely, positively, nothing nefarious about using a pill calendar, that is literally what they are for, it is their single purpose.

@jcmack That's illegal in some areas, such as Maine. You should really do some research before telling someone to potentially commit a crime. Not only that, it's a good way to kill or injure children or family members.

@Clay07g It's up to the user to determine what is and isn't illegal in their locale. It isn't illegal in my locale and I haven't had any issues with it. If you're dumb enough to be popping Vicodin out of a vitamin bottle at work. That's your problem not mine.

@jcmack Interesting stance, considering you literally just advised someone to do that.

@Clay07g No I didn't advise anyone to do anything illegal in their locale. It is up to the user to determine the legality of all advice including mine on the Internet. You could argue the pill calendar is illegal as well, because it's unmarked, all mixed together and without a valid prescription on the container, but you're not jumping on that guy.

@kasperd incorrectly marked container is way worse You are absolutely correct. I once had an extremely painful injury my doctor advised using ibuprofen to manage. Unbeknownst to me, a family member had decided to store a prescription painkiller in an old ibuprofen container (it was easier for her to open). My doctor suggested a dosage level that for the pres. drug could have easily killed me after a few doses. Fortunately, one of the side effects was extreme drowsiness and I was unconscious long enough for my family member to return home and inform me what she had done.

@jcmack The difference is expectation. A pill calendar is expected to contain controlled substances that must be treated with caution. A vitamin bottle is not. If I incorrectly set off a fire alarm in a building by pulling a big red handle with giant white letters reading "FIRE ALARM" on the wall, the blame is on me and the police can prosecute me. But, if the person who wired the alarm hooked it up to an ordinary light switch instead, no one is going to blame me for accidentally flicking the switch when I was looking for the hall lights. The electrician on the other hand...