Medication list for your doctor: what to include
What belongs on a medication list for the doctor, why OTC medicines and supplements count, and what else to bring to the appointment.
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Your appointment is coming up, and you know the names of some of your medicines, but not all of them, and not the doses. Bring a current list of everything you take, including what you bought without a prescription. You can keep it on paper or in Sam, where you log your medication. Medication linked to a program, a diary with its own doctor report and a monthly questionnaire, shows up in that program's doctor report. This post covers what belongs on the list, why, and how to use it in the room.
What belongs on a medication list for the doctor?
MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine's health site, says to list all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and that over-the-counter includes vitamins, supplements and herbal products. A practical list has these entries:
- The name of the medicine, as printed on the pack.
- The strength, for example 5 mg per tablet.
- How much you take and when, the way you actually take it.
- What you take it for. The reason lets a clinician place a medicine even if someone else prescribed it.
- How long you have taken it and who prescribed it.
- Allergies and reactions you know about.
How long, the reason and the prescriber are things you write on your own list, on paper or in a note. They are not fields in every app.
An incomplete list is still useful. If you are missing something, bring the pack or fill the gap in with your clinician.
Why do over-the-counter medicines and supplements belong on it?
Without them, your clinician sees only part of what you take. The NHS says some herbal medicines do not mix well with common prescriptions, for example statins, antidepressants, warfarin or the combined pill. They may cause harm or stop the medicine from working. It asks you to tell any doctor or healthcare professional treating you about herbal medicines and complementary therapies. The NHS also says to check with a pharmacist before taking a herbal medicine if you already take other medicines, including over-the-counter ones.
Whether something fits with your other medicines is for your clinician or pharmacist to say, not your list. The list makes sure they know. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.
List, pill bottles or both?
NHS Scotland's leaflet for patients having a polypharmacy review asks you to bring all your medicines, including any you bought, such as vitamins or herbal remedies. That is a review of many medicines, which is a different situation from a routine visit. Whether your practice wants packs at every visit varies, so ask them.
A German pharmacists' journal describes pharmacy medication reviews the same way, with one addition: refrigerated medicines stay at home, and you note the exact name or photograph the pack instead. Read that as a pharmacy-review habit, not a rule for every country.
A photo of an official medication plan, or letters from your doctor, can go in Sam's Health Vault so they are with you.
How do you list as-needed medicines and how you really take them?
A list shows what is prescribed. Your clinician also wants to know what happens in practice. If you sometimes forget doses, take something less often than prescribed, or take an extra now and then, say so. A forgotten dose is a question for your clinician, your pharmacist or the patient leaflet, not for a list or an app.
Put as-needed medicines on the same list and mark them as taken as needed. Add what you take them for and roughly how often you used them recently. For a step-by-step log, see what to record for as-needed medication.
Is your own list enough, or do you need an official one?
They are two different things. In many health systems a doctor or pharmacist keeps a record of your medicines. Your own list sits next to it. It can include what the record is missing, such as over-the-counter products, and what you really take.
The list in Sam is also a personal list. It does not replace any official plan from your clinic. If you want a list to fill in yourself, see medication list: template or app?.
What do you say and ask at the appointment?
Start with the list: "This is everything I take, including things without a prescription." Then ask. The WHO's 5 Moments for Medication Safety lists questions you can bring. Do you keep a list of all your medications? Are you taking any you no longer need? Does a health professional check them regularly? These are questions for your clinician. Nothing is for you to decide alone.
At the end, ask for any change in writing and update your list the same day. If your list changed because a dose was changed, documenting a dose change shows what to note. More for the visit itself is in the doctor appointment checklist for a chronic condition.
What if you see several doctors or take many medicines?
The more providers prescribe, the less any one of them sees. MedlinePlus advises giving every provider a copy of your list and discussing it at every appointment, including whether you still need each medicine. NHS Scotland describes a review as a meeting of 15 to 30 minutes with a doctor or pharmacist. You can bring a family member or a trusted friend. Ask your practice whether you can have one.
Can you share a medication tracker with your doctor?
Any list or log works if you bring it: printed, in a notes app or on your phone screen. Sam's way is narrow. The medication linked to a program appears in that program's doctor report, a PDF you create for the appointment. Your practice does not receive anything from Sam. You bring the report yourself. There is no export for the medication list on its own.
Log your medication in Sam and bring it in the doctor report
You walk in with what you recorded, not with what you can remember.
- Versus a note on paper: the medication list holds name, strength and dose times, including medicines marked "As needed".
- Versus memory: you log a dose right away, with one reminder per dose time if you want it.
- Versus gathering notes: the doctor report from the diary of your high blood pressure program shows, as a PDF, the medication linked to it and the doses you logged.
There is no separate PDF of the medication list, and the report shows only the medication linked to that program.
Try Sam HealthSam is a wellness companion, not a medical device. The app does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult qualified professionals for medical decisions.
Related reading
- Medication list: template or app?
- What to record for as-needed medication
- Documenting a dose change: what to record
Sources
Updated: October 2026
- MedlinePlus: Taking multiple medicines safely (reviewed 23 July 2024)
- NHS: Herbal medicines (last reviewed 1 May 2026)
- NHS Scotland, Right Decisions: Polypharmacy (Medicines) Review: Information for Patients and Carers (2019)
- WHO: 5 Moments for Medication Safety (2019)
- Pharmazeutische Zeitung: So soll die Medikationsberatung ablaufen (16 June 2022, in German)
More on recording and taking it along
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be on a medication list to take to the doctor?+
Every medicine you take, the dose intended for you and how often, what it is for and who prescribed it. MedlinePlus says to include prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and counts vitamins, supplements and herbal products as over-the-counter. Keep a copy at home and one with you.
Do I need to list over-the-counter medicines and supplements?+
Yes. MedlinePlus asks you to list them, and the NHS says some herbal medicines do not mix well with common prescriptions and asks you to tell any clinician treating you. Your doctor or pharmacist decides what that means for you. Do not stop or start anything on your own because of a list.
Should I bring pill bottles or a list?+
Either can work. NHS Scotland asks people to bring all their medicines, including ones they bought, to a polypharmacy review. For a routine visit a complete, current list is often enough, but ask your practice what it prefers.
How do I list as-needed medicines?+
Put them on the same list and mark them as taken as needed. Add what you take them for and roughly how often you used them recently. If you take something differently from how it was prescribed, say so openly.
Can I share a medication tracker with my doctor?+
Any list or log works if you bring it, on paper or on your phone. In Sam, the medication that belongs to a program appears in that program's doctor report, a PDF you create for the appointment. Sam does not export the medication list on its own.
What should I ask about my medicines at the appointment?+
The WHO's 5 Moments for Medication Safety suggests questions such as whether you keep a list of all your medications, whether you still need each one, and whether a health professional checks them regularly. Ask your clinician. Do not decide on your own to stop anything.
I take many medicines from different doctors. What helps?+
Give every provider a copy of your list. MedlinePlus says seeing several providers can lead to unneeded or overlapping prescriptions. NHS Scotland describes medicines reviews in which a doctor or pharmacist goes through each medicine with you. Ask your practice whether you can have one.