A current medicine list can make GP, hospital and pharmacy appointments easier and safer. It gives healthcare professionals a clearer picture of what you actually take, including prescribed medicines, occasional treatments, over-the-counter products and supplements that may not all appear in one electronic record.
This guide is about practical record-keeping, not changing treatment. Do not stop, start or alter a medicine because of something you read here. If you are unsure about a medicine, speak to the prescriber or a pharmacist.
Medicine List Builder
Record prescriptions, products bought yourself and supplements for an appointment. Check the final list against the packaging or repeat prescription with your pharmacist or clinician.
Medicines and products you actually use
Your personalised summary
Official guidance: NHS pharmacy help
Why a medicine list is worth keeping
People are often asked the same questions at different appointments: What medicines are you taking? What strength? How often? When did you last take it? Have you had any side effects? A simple, up-to-date list means you are not relying on memory when you are tired, unwell or under pressure.
It is also useful when care is shared between services. A GP may hold your repeat prescription record, while a hospital clinic may have started a short-term medicine or changed a dose. A dentist, pharmacist, out-of-hours clinician or emergency team may need the same information. Keeping your own list gives you one practical reference point to check against.
What to record for every medicine
For each item, write down enough detail for another person to understand exactly what you mean. Include:
- the medicine name, including the brand name if that is how you recognise it;
- the strength, for example 5 mg or 100 micrograms;
- the form, such as tablet, capsule, inhaler, cream, injection or liquid;
- how much you take at one time;
- when or how often you take it;
- why you take it, if you know;
- who prescribed or recommended it;
- when it was started or last changed, if relevant;
- any important instructions, such as taking it with food; and
- any side effect or problem you specifically need to discuss.
Do not rely on colour or shape alone. Tablets can look different when manufacturers change, and two medicines can look very similar. The written name and strength are much more useful.
Include medicines that are easy to forget
A medicine list should usually cover more than your regular repeat prescriptions. Add short courses you are still taking, inhalers used only when needed, eye drops, creams, patches, injections, contraceptives, medicines bought from a pharmacy or supermarket, and vitamins or supplements.
This matters because products that feel “minor” to you may still be relevant to a clinician or pharmacist. For example, an over-the-counter painkiller, antihistamine or herbal product may affect what they need to ask you next. You do not need to interpret interactions yourself; simply make the list complete enough for a professional to review.
Use the NHS App as a starting point, not the whole answer
If you use the NHS App in England, your medicines and prescription information can help you check names and repeat items. The NHS explains how to view and request prescriptions in the NHS App, and its Medicines A to Z provides patient information about many commonly used medicines.
Your app record may still not show everything you currently use. A hospital medicine, recent short course, private prescription, pharmacy purchase or supplement may sit outside your usual repeat list. That is why your own record should reflect what you actually take now, not just what appears on one screen.
A simple medicine-list template
You can keep your list on paper, in a notes app or in a document you can print. A simple structure is enough:
- Medicine: name and strength
- Form: tablet, inhaler, cream, liquid, injection, patch or other
- Dose: how much you take
- Timing: when or how often
- Reason: what it was prescribed or recommended for, if known
- Started/changed: approximate date if useful
- Prescriber/service: GP, hospital clinic, dentist, private clinician or other
- Notes: side effects, monitoring, questions or special instructions
If you take medicines only when needed, write that clearly instead of forcing them into a daily schedule. If the instructions are complex, copy the pharmacy label wording rather than shortening it in a way that could be misunderstood.
Questions to take to a medication review
A list is most useful when it also helps you prepare sensible questions. Depending on your situation, you may want to ask:
- What is this medicine for?
- How and when should I take it?
- How long am I expected to use it?
- What should I do if I miss a dose?
- Are there important side effects or interactions I should know about?
- Do I still need this medicine in the same dose?
- Do I need any blood tests or other monitoring?
- Who should I contact if I have a problem between appointments?
You do not need to ask every question at every appointment. Use the list to capture the two or three points that matter most to you.
Update the list immediately after a change
The most common weakness in a medicine list is not missing detail; it is being out of date. When a medicine is started, stopped or changed, update the list as soon as practical. Note the change date if it will help you remember what happened.
If a medicine has been stopped, remove it from the active list so it is not accidentally presented as current medication. Keep the previous list only if you have a clear reason to retain it, and label it clearly as old. If monitoring or a blood test is required after a medicine change, record that task separately so it does not disappear inside the medicine list.
For that kind of follow-up, our guide on tracking NHS test results and follow-up explains how to record who ordered a test, when the result is expected and what to do if the next step is unclear.
Take the list to every healthcare appointment
A medicine list is useful for GP appointments, hospital clinics, emergency care, dental treatment and pharmacy reviews. Do not assume every service can see a complete, up-to-date record from every other service.
For a routine appointment, having the list on your phone may be enough. For a hospital admission, urgent assessment or appointment involving several medicines, a printed copy can be helpful because it can be handed over and checked quickly. If someone helps you manage your medicines, make sure they know where the current list is kept.
What to bring as well as the list
The list is the main summary, but there are situations where the original packaging is useful. If you are unsure about a product name, dose, inhaler or cream, take the packet or a clear photograph of the label. If a clinician has recently given you a hospital letter or discharge summary that changes your medicines, bring that too.
For an emergency, follow the advice you are given. NHS guidance on when to call 999 also advises gathering the medicines a person is taking, if you can do so without delaying emergency help.
Check the list against repeat prescriptions
If you order regular medicines, occasionally compare your personal list with your current repeat prescription record. The NHS advises requesting a repeat prescription in good time and explains the available options in its guidance on how to order repeat prescriptions.
If your own list and the repeat record do not match, do not assume one is definitely wrong. There may be a recent hospital change, a medicine that is no longer repeatable, or an item that was meant to be temporary. Ask the relevant surgery, clinic or pharmacist to clarify the difference.
How to record side effects without guessing the cause
If you notice a new symptom after starting or changing a medicine, write down what happened, when it started and how severe it was. Avoid changing the list to say that the medicine “caused” the symptom unless a clinician has confirmed that. Many symptoms have more than one possible explanation.
Useful notes might include: “nausea began two days after dose increase”, “rash started on Tuesday”, or “felt dizzy twice after standing”. That gives a healthcare professional something specific to assess without turning your personal record into a diagnosis.
Medicines taken by children, older adults or someone you care for
If you manage medicines for another person, use the same structure but make it especially clear whose list it is. Add the person’s full name and date of birth at the top. Do not mix two people’s medicines in one note.
For someone taking many medicines, one person should ideally keep the master copy updated after appointments. Other family members or carers can use a copy, but the risk of conflicting versions increases if everyone edits a different list.
Before you leave an appointment
If any medicine has been changed, try to leave the appointment knowing exactly what the change is. Useful points to confirm include the new dose, the start or stop date, whether you should finish an existing supply, whether repeat prescriptions will change automatically and whether any monitoring is needed.
If instructions are given verbally and you are not sure you heard them correctly, ask for clarification before you leave. It is better to check one sentence than to guess later.
Medicine-list checklist
Before your next appointment, check that your list:
- shows every medicine you currently use;
- includes strengths and doses where known;
- includes occasional and over-the-counter medicines;
- includes vitamins and supplements;
- removes medicines that have been stopped;
- records recent changes;
- notes any questions or side effects you want to discuss;
- identifies who prescribed a medicine when that may not be obvious; and
- is saved somewhere you can access when you are away from home.
Keep the system simple enough to use
The best medicine list is not the most complicated one. It is the one you can keep accurate. A single page, a note on your phone or a small table can work well if it is current and easy to find. Avoid creating a system so detailed that you stop updating it.
If you want more practical UK health-organisation resources, browse the BetterCare guides. They are designed to help you prepare for appointments, organise follow-up and keep everyday health information easier to manage.
Important: this guide is for organisation and appointment preparation. It does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional. If you need urgent medical help and it is not a life-threatening emergency, use NHS 111. For a life-threatening emergency, call 999.
