To prepare for a medication reconciliation visit with a geriatrician, bring every product you take in its original bottle and bring one current written list. Include prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products, plus your pharmacy contact information.
A medication reconciliation is a careful comparison of everything you take against your medical record to prevent errors and harmful interactions. A geriatrician is a doctor who specializes in care of older adults. For a person with dementia, a family member or caregiver can help gather items and describe daily use.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Table of Contents
- What should go in the bag?
- What should your written list include?
- What health details should you report?
- What should you ask about drugs that affect older brains and bodies?
What should go in the bag?
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recommends a brown-bag review, where the clinician checks labels directly from the original bottles its medication review toolkit. Bring each bottle or package exactly as dispensed, with the label visible. Include non-pill products too, because patients often leave them out.
Add creams, ointments, inhalers, eye drops, patches, and laxatives. These products can still cause interactions in older adults. For the visit, pack:.
- prescription drugs in original bottles
- over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products
- creams, ointments, inhalers, eye drops, patches, and laxatives
- pharmacy name, phone number, and recent fill information
What should your written list include?
The National Institute on Aging advises bringing a written list with each product name, strength, dose, schedule, and prescribing doctor its guide to preparing for a doctor visit. List drugs prescribed by other doctors as well. Note recent medication changes and recent emergency or specialist visits. Keep one current list of every prescription, over-the-counter drug, and supplement.
The Food and Drug Administration says sharing this list at every visit helps professionals reduce errors and interactions and can help in emergencies its medication safety tips for older adults. Update the list when anything starts, stops, or changes dose. Bring the list on paper, even if you also keep it on a phone. Paper is easy to review, correct, and file in the visit record.
What health details should you report?
Tell the geriatrician about all allergies and prior adverse reactions. Report appetite, weight, sleep, and energy changes since the last visit. Say how often each drug is actually taken, including missed or extra doses. Include practical details about swallowing, splitting pills, or using inhalers, drops, or patches.
Bring glasses, hearing aids, and a helper who sees daily routines when memory loss makes recall hard. Accurate use information lets the doctor match the plan to real life. Do not borrow another person's prescription or skip doses without medical advice. The Food and Drug Administration warns that prescribers weigh allergies and interactions before choosing a drug. Take medicines only as prescribed and ask first before stopping.
What should you ask about drugs that affect older brains and bodies?
Ask whether each drug is still needed, what the lowest effective dose and duration would be, and what to monitor. For adults age 65 and older, the American Geriatrics Society 2023 Beers Criteria flags potentially inappropriate drugs in five categories, including drug-disease and drug-drug interactions, according to the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy its summary of the 2023 Beers Criteria update. Examples include first-generation antihistamines, chronic NSAIDs, and prolonged proton-pump inhibitors.
Use the list as a starting point, not a reason to stop treatment yourself. Ask which symptoms should prompt a call before the next visit. Write down any dose change, stop order, and follow-up check.
