Keep an accurate medication list

01

Why this helps

No single clinic or pharmacy necessarily sees everything a person takes. A current list can bridge disconnected records and is particularly important during an emergency, hospital admission, laboratory testing, or a visit with a new clinician. It also gives you a reliable place to record allergies and previous serious reactions.

Sources for this section: [1] [2]

02

Prepare the essential information

Choose paper, a phone note, a printable form, or an app you will maintain. For each item, record the generic or brand name, strength, dose, route, timing, reason, start date when known, and prescribing clinician. Include injections, inhalers, creams, eye drops, as-needed medicines, contraceptives, over-the-counter products, vitamins, herbs, and other supplements.

Use pharmacy labels, dispensing records, packaging, and the person’s actual routine rather than memory alone. Distinguish what was prescribed from what is actually taken, and mark uncertainty for verification. Include eye drops, inhalers, injections, patches, creams, as-needed products, samples, vitamins, herbs, and products from more than one pharmacy or country.

• Mark products you have stopped rather than silently deleting recent changes.
• Use the label or pharmacy record instead of relying on pill color or shape.
• Ask a pharmacist to reconcile duplicates or unclear instructions.

Check why supplements belong on the same list

Sources for this section: [1] [2]

03

Use a simple process

Start by naming the decision or problem this tool should support. Collect only information likely to change that decision, organize it so another person can scan it quickly, and mark what is uncertain rather than guessing. Use the record during the conversation, write down the agreed next step, who is responsible, and when to review it. Update the record when a medicine, symptom, diagnosis, measurement method, or priority changes.

Sources for this section: [1] [2]

04

What to record or bring

Keep one master copy and a portable version. Add allergies, the reaction that occurred, emergency contact details, and the date the list was checked. Bring it to medical, dental, pharmacy, and laboratory visits. A photograph can be a backup, but make sure the text is readable and protect it like other health information.

Sources for this section: [1] [2]

05

Make the guide work for you

Store the list in a format that is available in an emergency: a wallet copy, phone note, patient portal, or caregiver copy, with an appropriate privacy choice. Use large print or icons if helpful. Do not delete a recently stopped medicine until the reason and date are recorded; this can explain symptoms, interactions, or why a clinician should not restart it.

Sources for this section: [1] [2]

06

Safety and next steps

A list does not authorize changing treatment. Do not stop, split, combine, or substitute medicines solely because two names look similar or an interaction checker raises an alert; confirm with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Seek urgent help for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, fainting, severe confusion, or another possible serious reaction.

Sources for this section: [1] [2]

07

Quick checklist

Use this short list before the next appointment, review, or handoff. Skip any item that does not apply and add what matters to the current decision.

• Exact name, strength, dose, route, and schedule
• Reason for use and prescriber or source
• Nonprescription products, vitamins, herbs, and as-needed medicines
• Allergies, intolerances, serious prior reactions, and recently stopped medicines
• Last reconciliation date and the person who confirmed it

Sources for this section: [1] [2]