Your Medicine: 

Be Smart. Be Safe.

Learn more about how to take

medicines safely. Use the wallet card

at the back of this booklet to keep

track of your medicines.
Keep this booklet with your medicines and

talk with your doctor* if you have any

questions, concerns, or worries.

This booklet was developed by the Agency for

Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and

the National Council on Patient Information

and Education (NCPIE).

How to order copies of this booklet

For up to 10 free copies of this booklet, e-mail

the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse at

AHRQPubs@ahrq.hhs.gov or call 800-358-

9295.

Larger quantities can be purchased from the

NCPIE, which also offers more information

about safe medicine use. 

Visit its Web sites:

www.talkaboutrx.org

www.bemedwise.org

Or contact NCPIE:

National Council on Patient Information and

Education 

200-A Monroe Street, Suite 212

Rockville, MD 20850

Phone: 301-340-3940

Fax: 301-340-3944

*The term “doctor” is used in this booklet to refer 

to the person who helps you manage your health 

care.
1

Your Medicine: 

Be Smart. Be Safe.

Have you ever had a problem with your

medicines? You are not alone. There are so

many things to keep track of. For example, you

may have asked yourself:

n When exactly should I take my medicine? 

n Is it safe to take vitamins when I take a

prescription medicine? 

n Now that I feel better, can I stop taking this

medicine? 

Medicine is prescribed to help you. But it can

hurt if you take too much or mix medicines

that don’t go together. Many people have

problems each year, some serious, because of

taking the wrong medicine or not taking the

right medicines correctly.

You can help yourself get the best results by

being a part of your “health care team.” Your

health care team includes: 

n The doctor, physician assistant, nurse

practitioner, or other professionals who

prescribe your medicine or are in charge of

your care.

n A nurse who helps you at home, a doctor’s

office, or a hospital.

n The pharmacist who fills your prescription

and can answer questions about your

medicines.
2
3

Four Ways to Be Smart

and Safe With Medicines

Give your health care team

important information.

Be a partner with your health care team. Tell

them about all the medicines, vitamins,

herbals, and dietary supplements you’re taking.

This includes:

4 Prescription medicines.

4 Medicines you can buy without a

prescription, such as aspirin, diet pills,

antacids, laxatives, allergy medicine, and

cough medicine.

4 Vitamins, including multivitamins.

4 Dietary or herbal supplements such as St.

John’s wort or ginkgo biloba.

List them all on the wallet card in the back of

this booklet.

Be sure to tell your health care team:

n If you have allergies (including medicinerelated allergies) or if you have had

problems when taking a medicine. 

n About other doctors or health professionals

who have prescribed medicine for you or

suggested that you take a vitamin or herbal

supplement. 
4

n If you are pregnant, may get pregnant, or

are nursing. 

n About any other illness or medical

condition, like diabetes or high blood

pressure. 

n If cost is a concern. There may be another

medicine that costs less and will work the

same. 

“I go to my regular doctor for most things,

but sometimes I go to a specialist. No matter

who I’m going to see, I always take my list

of medicines with me and show it to the

doctor.”
5

Ask questions about every new prescription

medicine. Get the answers you need from your

health care team before you take your

medicine.

If your doctor writes your prescription by

hand, make sure you can read it. If you can’t

read your doctor’s handwriting, your

pharmacist might not be able to either. If your

doctor submits your prescription directly to the

pharmacy, ask for a copy.

Ask your doctor to write down on the

prescription why you need the medicine. . . for

example, not just “take once a day” but “take

once a day for high blood pressure.”

If you have other questions or concerns:

n Talk to your doctor or pharmacist. 

n Write questions down ahead of time and

bring them to your appointment. 

By asking questions now, you may prevent

problems later.

Get the facts about your

medicine.
6

Questions to ask before you take

your medicine:

1. Why am I taking this medicine? _________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

2. What are the brand name and generic* 

name of this medicine?_________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

3. Can I take a generic version of this 

medicine?____________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

4. Does this new prescription mean I should 

stop taking other medicines? ____________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

5. How much of the medicine should I take 

and how often do I take it? If I need to 

take it three times a day, does that mean at 

breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or every 8 

hours? Do I need to wake up in the middle 

of the night to take it? _________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

*Learn more about generic medicine. See page 14.
7

6. Do I need to take it all or should I stop 

when I feel better? ____________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

7. How long will I take it? Can I get a refill? 

How often can I get a refill? ____________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

8. How should I store my medication? Do I 

need to keep it in the refrigerator? _______

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

9. Are there any tests I need while I’m on this 

medicine?____________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

10. When should the medicine start working? 

How can I tell if it’s working?___________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________
11. Are there foods, drinks (including alcohol), 

other medicines, or activities to avoid while 

I’m taking this medicine?_______________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

12. What are the side effects? When should I 

tell the doctor about a problem or side 

effect?

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

13. What should I do if I have a side effect?

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

14. What happens if I miss a dose? __________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

15. What printed information can you give me 

about this medicine?___________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

8
Tips:

4 Write your questions down ahead of

time. Keep a list of questions you want

to ask your health care team. Take the

list to your appointment. 

4 Be sure to write down what your

health care team tells you about your

medicine so you remember later. 

4 Bring a friend or family member with

you when you visit the doctor. Talking

over what to do with someone you

trust can help you make better

decisions. 

4 Try to use the same pharmacy so all

your prescription records will be in

one place. 

4 Read and save the information that

comes with your medicine. It’s often

stapled to the bag from the pharmacy. 

4 Keep a list of all the medicines,

vitamins, and dietary supplements or

herbs you take. Add new medicines to

the list when you start taking

something new or when a dose

changes. Show the list to your doctor

and the pharmacist. Use the wallet

card at the back of this booklet. 

9
4 Make a copy of your list. Keep one

copy and give the other to a family

member or friend. 

4 Store all medicines together in one

designated location in a dry and cool

place. The kitchen and the bathroom

are bad places to store medicine

because of heat and moisture.

4 Make sure medicine does not freeze if

you store it in the refrigerator. 

4 Throw away any medicine that has

expired or that your doctor has

discontinued. (Ask your doctor or

pharmacist for advice on how to throw

away your specific medication.)

10
Stay with your treatment

plan.

Now that you have the right medicine, you’ll

want to carry out the treatment plan. That’s

not always easy. Medicines may cause side

effects. Or you may feel better and want to

stop before finishing your medicines.

n Take all the antibiotics you were

prescribed. If you are taking an antibiotic

to fight an infection, it is very important to

take all of your medicine for as long as your

doctor prescribed even if you feel better. If

you don’t finish, the infection could come

back and be harder to treat.

n Ask your doctor if your prescription

needs to be refilled. If you take medicine

for high blood pressure or to lower your

cholesterol, you may need your medicine

for a long time. 

11

“I want to make sure all my medicines are OK. 

So, once a year I call the pharmacist and make an

appointment for her to check everything I take. I put

all my medicines and vitamins in a bag. I even put

in nonprescription medicines like antacids, pain

relievers, and laxatives.”
How can I keep track of my medicines?

Many products can help remind you to take your

medicine on time and keep track of how much to

take. There are containers you can fill with your

pills for each day of the week, calendars to check

off, and even products that fit on top of a pill

bottle. Ask your pharmacist for help finding the

right product for you.

n If you are having side effects or other

concerns, tell your doctor. You may be able

to take a different amount or type of

medicine. 

n Your medicine was prescribed only for you.

Never give your prescription medicine to

anyone else or take prescription medicine

that wasn’t prescribed for you, even if you

have the same medical condition. 

n Ask whether you need blood tests, x-rays,

or other tests to find out if the medicine is

working, if it’s causing any problems, and if

you need a different medicine. Ask your

doctor to tell you what the tests showed. 

12
Tips:

n You can get help:

4 At work, there may be a nurse 

on site.

4 At school, a nurse may be available

to help your child take medicines

on time and safely.

4 At home, a visiting nurse may be

able to help.

Friends and family can help by:

n Going with you to the doctor. Ask

them to write down information about

your medicines and treatment plan.

n Picking up your medicine. Have them

show the pharmacist your list of

medicines, vitamins, and supplements.

They should ask, “Will this new

medicine work safely with the other

medicines?”

n Calling regularly to remind you to

take your medicine on time. If you

have problems, let them know.

n Keeping a daily record of medicine

you take and the time of day so you

won’t take it twice. 

13
Use the wallet card at the back of this booklet

to keep track of your medicines, vitamins,

herbs, and other dietary supplements.

14

Keep a record of your

medicines.

What is a generic medicine?

Generic drugs are safe, effective, and

approved by the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA). They have the same

dosage, safety, quality, performance, and

strength as brand name drugs. The color or

flavor of a generic medicine may be different,

but the active ingredient is the same.

After the patent runs out on a brand name

drug, companies can apply to the FDA to

make a generic copy of that drug. Generic

drugs usually cost less than brand name drugs.
For more information

To learn about specific medicines go to

www.medlineplus.gov and click on “Drugs &

Supplements.” If you don’t have Internet

access, go to your local library for help.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and

Quality (AHRQ) has booklets about

preventing, diagnosing, and treating common

health conditions. For a list of topics, visit

www.ahrq.gov/consumer.

Keep this booklet with your medicines in case

you have any questions, concerns, or worries.

15
List Your Doctors and Pharmacists

Here:

Doctor _________________________________

Contact information ______________________

Doctor _________________________________

Contact information ______________________

Doctor _________________________________

Contact information ______________________

Doctor _________________________________

Contact information ______________________

Doctor _________________________________

Contact information ______________________

Nurse __________________________________

Contact information ______________________

Pharmacist ______________________________

Phone number___________________________

24-hour Pharmacy _______________________

Phone number___________________________

16
________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

Notes

Tear Here
www.talkaboutrx.org

AHRQ Pub. No. 11-0049-A

(Replaces AHRQ Pub. No. 03-0019)

April 2011
Nonprescription medicines 

Cold or cough medicinesAspirin or other pain relieversAllergy relief medicinesAntacidsSleeping pillsLaxativesDiet pillsOther _________________________

Medicines I should not take because ofbad reactions or allergies __________

________________________________

Vitamins, 

Vitamins 

___________________________

GlucosamSt. John’Ginkgo bGinsengOther __

_____________________________________________

5 
Blood type ______________________Medical condition(s) ______________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Emergency Contact

Name___________________________Home phone ____________________Work phone _____________________Cell phone ______________________

Do nottake with

Antacidsor dairy products

Fold Here

4