By PiedmontPrimaryCare.com Wellness Team. Independent educational guide. Sources last checked October 6, 2026.
If you are heading to a weight-management appointment, bring a complete, written list of everything you take: prescriptions, over-the-counter products, vitamins, supplements, and anything you started, stopped, or changed recently. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) tells people to talk with their health care professional about any other medications they take, “including supplements and vitamins.” A clear list makes that conversation faster and easier to get right. The worksheet below shows you exactly what to write down.
Why the full list matters for a weight-management visit
NIDDK says prescription weight-management medicines may be considered for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher with weight-related health problems. Whether a medicine is a fit depends on your health history and on what else you already take. Your clinician cannot weigh that without the whole picture.
NIDDK also advises not to combine weight-loss medications with other products intended for weight loss unless a health care professional prescribes them. That is a strong reason to put every weight-loss product on your list, even the ones you think of as “just a supplement” or that you bought online.
What to bring
- Prescriptions: everything you take for any reason, not only weight. Include injections, patches, inhalers, creams, and drops.
- Over-the-counter products: pain relievers, allergy and cold medicines, sleep aids, antacids, and laxatives.
- Vitamins, supplements, and herbal products: include any product sold for weight loss, appetite, energy, or metabolism.
- Weight-loss products you tried and stopped: note roughly when and why you stopped.
- The original containers or clear photos of the labels: labels show the exact name, strength, and directions. Our guide on what to photograph or bring walks through this step by step.
- The Medication Guide, if one came with a prescription: the FDA describes Medication Guides as patient labeling that is part of the approved labeling for certain prescription drugs. Not every drug has one, but if yours came with one, keep it handy.
- Your allergies and past reactions: NIDDK also lists allergies and existing medical conditions among the things to discuss.
The medication-list worksheet
Copy this into a note, a document, or onto paper. Fill in one block per item. Leave a field blank rather than guessing, and write “not sure” where that is true. Your pharmacy or the person who prescribed it can fill in gaps.
One block per medication or product
- Name: exactly as printed on the label (brand and generic name if both appear)
- Type: prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin or supplement, or other
- Dose and how often: the strength on the label, plus how you actually take it (for example, “one tablet in the morning”)
- Reason: why you take it, in your own words
- Prescriber or source: the clinician who prescribed it, or where you bought it if it is over the counter
- Start date: month and year is fine; “about two years ago” is better than blank
- Side effects or changes you noticed: what you felt, when it started, and whether it eased or got worse
- Last change: any dose change, missed doses, or stop date
Add these lines at the bottom of the page
- Started in the last 3 months: list each item with the date
- Stopped or paused in the last 3 months: list each item, the date, and why
- Dose changes in the last 3 months: old dose, new dose, and who changed it
- Allergies and past reactions: the medicine or ingredient and what happened
- Other places I get medicine: more than one pharmacy, mail order, samples, or a second clinician
- Questions I want to ask: write these before the visit so they do not get lost
How to fill it out accurately
- Gather everything in one place. Check the bathroom, kitchen, purse or bag, car, and nightstand.
- Copy from the label, not from memory. Strengths and spellings are easy to misremember.
- Write how you really take it. If you skip doses or take something only on some days, say so. This is not a test, and it helps the review.
- Add what is not in a bottle. Injections, patches, powders, teas, gummies, and drinks count.
- Note the timeline. Recent starts, stops, and changes often matter most.
- Bring it in a form the clinic can use. A printed copy plus a phone photo of each label works well.
For a broader look at preparing for a medication conversation, see our guide to preparing for a medication review.
Questions worth asking once your list is in hand
- Does anything on my list need to be reviewed before I start or change a weight-management medicine?
- Which of the products I take for weight loss, if any, should I stop?
- What side effects should I watch for, and which ones mean I should call you?
- Which of my current medicines or conditions affect which options are suitable for me?
- Will this be used together with a lifestyle program? NIDDK says weight-management medications work best when combined with a lifestyle program.
Supplements: list them, even the ones you are unsure about
Many people leave supplements off a medication list because they do not think of them as medicine. For this visit, include them anyway, and bring the label so the full ingredient list is visible. Reading an ingredient panel closely is a skill worth building; this site has an ingredient-focused write-up of one over-the-counter weight-management supplement, which shows what a typical label contains. That page is a product review and contains affiliate links. This guide does not recommend any product, and nothing here suggests you should buy one.
What this guide cannot do
- It does not tell you which weight-management medicine, if any, is right for you. That depends on your health history, your other medicines, and an exam.
- It does not check for interactions. A pharmacist or prescriber can do that when they see your complete list.
- NIDDK notes that most side effects are mild and often improve with continued use, but serious side effects can rarely occur. Medicines differ, so ask about the one you are considering.
- Do not stop or change a prescription on your own because of anything you read here. Talk with the prescriber first.
Who should get professional advice first
Talk with a licensed clinician or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or combining any weight-management product if you take several prescriptions, have a chronic condition, are pregnant or planning to be, or have had a past reaction to a medicine. Seek urgent care for severe symptoms such as trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, chest pain, or fainting.
Your next steps
- Fill out the worksheet this week, while there is still time to look up gaps.
- Call your pharmacy if you need a printed list of your current prescriptions.
- Add your questions to the bottom of the page.
- Bring the list and the labels to your appointment, and ask the clinician to review it with you.
- After the visit, update the list with any changes and keep one copy with you.
Sources
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Prescription Medications to Treat Overweight and Obesity. Last reviewed June 2024. Checked October 6, 2026. Supports: BMI criteria for considering medicines, talking with your health care professional about other medicines including supplements and vitamins, not combining weight-loss medicines with other weight-loss products unless prescribed, telling your doctor about allergies and asking about medical conditions, the side effect statement, and medicines working best with a lifestyle program.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Medication Guides. Checked October 6, 2026. Supports: the description of Medication Guides as patient labeling that is part of the approved labeling for certain prescription drugs.
This guide is general education and not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer and editorial standards.