Maintaining an Accurate Medication and Supplement List

One true list can keep you safe. It names each drug you take. It names each pill you buy on your own. It names each herb and vitamin too. You keep it up to date. You take it with you to each visit. This guide shows you how to build it. It shows you how to keep it true.

Key takeaways

• Write down all your drugs, pills, herbs, and vitamins.
• Add the dose, the time, and the reason for each one.
• For a drug a doctor gave you, add who gave it and why.
• Change the list each time a drug starts, stops, or shifts dose.
• Keep one copy at home. Keep one copy in your purse, wallet, or phone.
• Show the list to each doctor, dentist, and drug store staff.
• Ask your drug plan if a free drug review is open to you.

Why one list matters

As we age, we tend to take more drugs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says this is true for most of us. More drugs can mean more side effects. More drugs can mean more bad mixes. Age can change how the body deals with a drug. The liver and kidneys may not work as well as they once did. That can change how a drug breaks down. It can change how fast a drug leaves the body. A drug that was fine for years may need a new dose. It may need to be changed. A true list helps your care team see the full picture. It helps them spot a bad mix in time.

No one care team sees all your care. You may see a heart doctor. You may see a bone doctor. You may see a dentist. Each one may know just part of the list. Your list ties it all in one place. It is the one record you control.

What to put on the list

Put each item on its own line. For each item, write these facts:

Add drugs you buy with no script. Add cold pills and pain pills. Add vitamins and minerals. Add herbs and teas that act like drugs. Add creams, drops, and sprays. Add shots you get at a clinic. Add pills you take just once in a while. A pill you take once a week still counts.

Add your drug allergies too. Write what took place when you had a bad reaction. Write if a drug made you sick, dizzy, or short of breath. This helps the team pick a safe drug for you.

• The name of the drug or pill.
• How much you take at one time.
• When you take it each day.
• Why you take it.
• Who told you to take it, if a doctor did.
• When you start it, if you know the date.

How to build the list, step by step

Start with the bottles you have at home. Line them up on a table. Write down what each label says. Do not trust your memory for dose or time. Read the label and copy it word for word.

Next, think of items with no bottle at home. Think of pills you keep at work or in a bag. Think of vitamins a friend or spouse gives you. Think of herbs you buy at a store. Add each one to the list.

Then call your drug store. Ask them to read back the drugs they have on file for you. Match that list with yours. If a drug is on their list but not yours, ask why. You may have stopped it. Or you may have missed it.

Last, pick one form and stick with it. A sheet of paper works well. A note on your phone works too. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) gives a free sheet for this task. It tracks each drug, each pill you buy on your own, and each supplement. Keep the sheet where you can find it fast.

Keep the list up to date

A list is true for just one point in time. It goes stale fast. Change it the same day a drug changes. Cross out a drug when you stop it. Add a new drug the day you start it. Note each dose change when it takes place.

Check the list once a month. Read each line and ask three things. Do I still take this? Is the dose still right? Is the time still right? If you are not sure, call the drug store and ask.

Check dates on your bottles too. The FDA says to check the date a drug runs out. Throw out drugs that are past that date. Old drugs may not work well. They may cause harm. Ask your drug store how to throw them out in a safe way.

Do not stop a drug on your own. Do not skip doses to save pills. The FDA warns that this can make your illness worse. It can land you in the hospital. Talk to your doctor or drug store staff first. If a drug makes you feel bad, say so at once. The team can change the dose or pick a new drug.

Supplements need the same care

Many folks think herbs and vitamins are safe by default. That is not true. A herb or supplement can change how a drug works. The FDA gives this as one way a bad mix can take place. Grapefruit juice can change how some drugs work too. So can wine, beer, and other drinks with alcohol.

MedlinePlus, from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, lists types of bad mixes. Two drugs can clash and make you sleepy. They can raise your risk of a fall. Some foods can make a drug work less well. For one blood thinner, foods high in vitamin K, like kale, can be a problem. Some pain pills can make heart failure worse. These are facts to talk through with your team. They are not facts to act on alone.

Put each supplement on your list just like a drug. Write the brand name and the strength. Write how much you take and when. When you want to start a new herb or vitamin, ask first. Show your list and ask if the new item is safe with it.

Share the list at each visit

Bring the list to each visit. Bring it to the doctor. Bring it to the dentist. Bring it to the drug store. The FDA says to show it to all your care providers. That list should go to physical therapists too. If you can, bring the bottles as well. MedlinePlus says bottles help the doctor check the list.

A short visit goes better when you plan for it. Our guide on preparing for appointments and keeping a question list can help you plan what to ask. Write your drug questions on that list too.

When you see more than one doctor, your records can split. Our guide on organizing records across several health care providers shows how to keep one set of records. Your drug list should live in that set. Each doctor should see the same list.

Hospital stays are a key time to use the list. Take it with you if you go to the hospital. Take it to the emergency room too. When you leave, your drugs may change. Our guide on understanding discharge instructions and arranging follow-up walks through that step. Sit down that day and fix your list. Cross out drugs you no longer take. Add new drugs with dose and time.

Who covers what

Medicare drug plans must offer a service called Medication Therapy Management. Medicare.gov says this service is for people who meet set rules. It is also for people in a drug management program. If you qualify, you can get the service at no cost to you.

Through this service, you may get a full review of your drugs. You may get a written summary of that review. You may get a to-do list and a drug list to help you use your drugs well. The list has space for your notes and questions.

Not all plan members qualify. Rules can change by plan and by year. If you take drugs for more than one long-term health problem, ask your plan. Ask if you qualify and how to sign up.

What this service does not do is keep your own list for you. Your own list is still your job. The review can help you fix it. It does not replace it. Plans do not pay for most vitamins and herbs you buy on your own as part of this review. This guide makes no claim about that cost, since Medicare.gov does not state it on the page cited here. Ask your plan what it pays for.

Your drug plan and drug store also do safety checks. Before a drug store fills a script, they check for bad mixes. They check for wrong doses. These checks work best when your list is true and full.

Sample Situation

Mrs. Lee is 74 and lives on her own. This is an example, not a real person. She takes a blood pressure pill each morning. She takes a pill for joint pain as needed. Her daughter gives her a vitamin D pill each day. She buys a herb tea that helps her sleep.

At a check-up, Mrs. Lee brings her list. The nurse sees the sleep tea on the list. She asks the doctor to check it with the joint pain pill. The doctor finds the mix could make Mrs. Lee too sleepy. He asks her to stop the tea and try a warm bath at night. Mrs. Lee crosses the tea off her list that day. She writes the date next to the change. At her next visit, the list is true and short. Each person on her team sees the same list.

Questions to ask about your list

Keep a short set of questions with your list. Ask them when a drug is new or changed:

If you do not know a reply, ask the drug store. Drug store staff know drugs well. They can check your full list for bad mixes. Try to use one drug store for all your drugs. Then their file holds your full list in one place.

• What is this drug for?
• How much do I take, and when?
• What should I feel if it works?
• What bad signs should I watch for?
• Is it safe with my herbs and vitamins?
• What do I do if I miss a dose?

Your next step

Start your list today. It takes less than an hour for most folks. Use the bottles, not your memory. Then keep it true, one change at a time.

To learn more about a drug on your list, see our medications section. You can read what each drug is for. You can check facts before your next visit. Bring what you learn back to your list and your team.

Sources

• https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/5-medication-safety-tips-older-adults
• https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000952.htm
• https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/caregiver-worksheets
• https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/part-d/what-plans-cover/plan-rules/safety-management-programs
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2023_Kasetka_z_lekami.jpg