Questions To Ask Before Taking Medicine

1. What am I taking this medicine for?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

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 any 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?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

6. Do I need to take it all, or should I stop when I feel better?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

7. How long will I be 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?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

---

Return to Document