Preparing for a Medication Review: Bottles, Lists, and Changes

Preparing for a Medication Review: Bottles, Lists, and Changes

A medication review goes faster and catches more problems when you show up with the actual bottles (or a current list), a note of anything new, and a short list of questions. This guide walks through what to gather, what to ask, and what to expect — based on question frameworks and worksheets published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

If you're having a severe reaction to a medication right now — difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, chest pain, or a fainting spell — stop reading and call 911 or your local emergency number. This article is for routine review preparation, not urgent symptoms.

Terms to Know

• Medication review: A conversation with a doctor, pharmacist, or other clinician where every medicine you take — prescription, over-the-counter, and supplements — is looked at together to check for duplicates, interactions, or things that may no longer be needed.
• Medication reconciliation: The clinical process of comparing the medication list you report against what's recorded in your chart.
• Interaction: When one medicine changes how another one works, sometimes making it less effective or increasing side effects.

Which NIA Worksheet Fits Your Situation

NIA publishes several free, downloadable worksheets for different parts of a doctor conversation. They're not interchangeable — each is built for a different piece of the puzzle:

• Medications worksheet — Built specifically to track different medicines, including vitamins, over-the-counter drugs, and prescriptions. This is the one most relevant to a medication review.
• Changes to discuss worksheet — For recording life changes since your last appointment, which can matter for a medication review if a new symptom or diagnosis is part of why a medicine is being reconsidered.
• Concerns worksheet — For organizing your thoughts on any health or other concerns you want to raise, useful if you have a specific worry about a side effect or a drug you're currently on.
• Family health history worksheet — For recording conditions that run in your family; less directly tied to a medication review, but can come up if a clinician is weighing whether a medication fits your broader risk profile.

For a medication review specifically, starting with the medications worksheet and adding the changes worksheet if anything's changed recently covers most of what's needed.

Step-by-Step: Getting Ready

1. Gather everything you take. Prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements all belong on the list — supplements and OTC products can interact with prescriptions even though they don't require one.
2. Write down or confirm the exact name and dose of each one. If a bottle's label is worn or unclear, note that too, so it can be clarified at the visit.
3. Note anything that changed since your last visit. New symptoms, a new diagnosis, a hospital stay, or a medicine started or stopped elsewhere all matter for a complete review.
4. Use a worksheet to organize the details. NIA's medications worksheet, and its related “changes to discuss” worksheet, are built for exactly this kind of prep and can be downloaded and printed ahead of time.
5. Write down your questions in advance. AHRQ's patient-question framework centers on things like: How do you spell the name of that drug? Are there any side effects? Will this medicine interact with medicines I'm already taking? Why do I need this treatment, and are there alternatives?
6. Bring a second set of ears if you can. A family member or friend can help remember what was said, especially if several medications are being discussed at once.

Questions Worth Asking at the Review

• What is each medication for?
• How do you spell the name of this drug, so I have it right for other providers?
• Are there any side effects I should watch for?
• Will this medicine interact with anything else I'm taking, including supplements?
• Are there alternatives, and what are the trade-offs?
• What are the possible complications if I skip a dose or stop early?

These questions come directly from AHRQ's “Questions Are the Answer” framework, developed for patients preparing to talk with a clinical team.

What This Guide Can't Do

This article can help you organize information and questions — it can't tell you whether to start, stop, or change a medication, and it isn't a substitute for a licensed clinician who knows your full health history. Decisions about your specific medications belong with your doctor or pharmacist.

About This Guide

By PiedmontPrimaryCare.com Wellness Team. This article draws on publicly available patient-education materials from AHRQ and NIA and is provided for general informational purposes only — it is not medical advice. PiedmontPrimaryCare.com is an independent wellness information website and is not affiliated with any medical practice operating under the name “Piedmont Primary Care” or any similar name; this domain was previously used by a healthcare provider no longer associated with this site. Learn more on our About page and How We Work page.

Last updated: September 2026.