Keep a current medication list

Make one list for each person

Include every medicine the person currently uses:

• prescription medicines;
• over-the-counter medicines;
• vitamins;
• herbal products; and
• dietary supplements.

Record allergies and the emergency contact on the same emergency record. A medication list helps a clinician or pharmacist understand current treatment, but it does not replace the prescription label or clinical record.

Record each medicine exactly

Use the label, pharmacy record, or clinician's instructions. Record:

• medicine name;
• strength, such as the amount in each tablet, milliliter, injection, patch, or other unit;
• what the person takes it for;
• how much they take;
• when and how often they take it;
• route or form when it matters, such as oral, inhaled, injected, topical, or eye drops;
• prescribing clinician and phone number;
• pharmacy and phone number; and
• special storage requirement stated on the label.

Do not record only a color, shape, nickname, or category such as “heart pill.” Do not guess at an unreadable strength or direction. Confirm it with the pharmacy or prescriber.

Add information needed to use the list

For each person, include:

• full name and date of birth;
• medication allergies and the reaction, if known;
• other allergies relevant to care;
• emergency contact;
• primary clinician and key specialists;
• health or prescription-plan contact information; and
• date the list was last reviewed.

Keep diagnoses to the minimum needed for the list to be useful. The purpose field may already reveal sensitive health information, so the person should control who can see it.

Verify and update it

Review the list whenever:

• a medicine starts or stops;
• the strength or directions change;
• the pharmacy or prescriber changes;
• an allergy is identified or corrected;
• the person leaves a hospital or another care setting; or
• an emergency plan is reviewed.

Compare the list with current labeled containers, the pharmacy record, or the clinician's current instructions. Mark a stopped medicine as inactive or remove it from the active list. Do not leave old and current directions together without clearly identifying which is current.

Add the review date even when nothing changed. A list without a date cannot show whether it describes current treatment.

Keep an accessible copy

Choose at least two forms that remain available when a phone, network, or account cannot be opened:

• a paper copy carried with the health-insurance card or emergency information;
• a paper copy in the household emergency kit;
• a photo or document saved for offline access in a location the person has chosen to protect; and
• a copy held by a trusted relative, friend, or caregiver who may speak for the person.

Make the copy readable for the person who may need it. Use large type, the person's preferred language, screen-reader-compatible text, or another accessible format as needed.

The medicine itself should remain in its original labeled container unless a pharmacist or care plan directs otherwise. The list is a reference, not a replacement label.

Protect the information

A medication list contains sensitive health information. Share it only with people and services the person authorizes, except when emergency care rules permit otherwise.

Before choosing digital storage, check who can access the record, how it is protected, and whether it remains available without a connection. Keep an accessible backup that fits the person's consent and emergency needs.

Do not

• Do not rely on memory alone.
• Do not omit nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or supplements.
• Do not guess a medicine name, strength, purpose, or direction.
• Do not keep conflicting old and new instructions in one active list.
• Do not treat an undated list as current.
• Do not store the only copy behind a network connection or account lock.
• Do not use the list to change, stop, combine, or substitute medicines without the appropriate clinical instruction.

Next action

Create one list per person and confirm it against current labels or pharmacy or clinician records. Add a last-reviewed date, keep one accessible copy, and give another to an authorized trusted person when appropriate.