A medication review is only as useful as the information you bring to it. When you take several prescription medicines, plus a few over-the-counter products and supplements, it is easy to forget one, and that missing item may be the one causing a problem. This guide explains how to prepare for a medication review: what to gather, the questions worth writing down, which government-funded review might suit you and what happens afterwards. Your Community Pharmacy in Newport offers medication reviews, including MedsCheck.
Key Takeaways
- Bring every medicine you use, including over-the-counter products, vitamins, creams, drops and inhalers.
- Note your questions and any side effects before the review, so nothing is forgotten on the day.
- MedsCheck is a pharmacy review for eligible people who live at home, such as people on five or more prescription medicines.
- A Home Medicines Review is arranged through your GP, and the report goes back to your doctor.
What a medication review covers
In a review, the pharmacist looks at everything you take, from prescriptions to pharmacy and supermarket medicines and supplements. They check for interactions between them, side effects that may be linked to a medicine, and whether the doses and timing make sense for you.
It is also a chance to make sure you understand your own routine: what each medicine is for, how to take it and what to do if you miss a dose. The better prepared you are, the more of that time goes on answers rather than trying to remember names and strengths.
Preparing for a medication review: gather every medicine
The most useful thing you can do is bring the medicines themselves, not just a list. Healthdirect’s advice on how to prepare for your medication review at home is to gather:
- your prescription medicines
- over-the-counter medicines from the chemist, shops or online
- vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies
- inhalers, patches, creams, and eye or ear drops
Add a note of any allergies and past reactions to medicines, the conditions you are treated for, and the names of the doctors who prescribe for you. If you have been in hospital recently, bring the discharge summary too, because medicines are often started, stopped or changed during a stay.
Ask the pharmacist in store whether a MedsCheck or another medication review suits you.
Write down your questions
People often leave a review wishing they had asked something. A short written list helps. Useful questions include:
- Why am I taking this, and do I still need it?
- Could this medicine be causing the dizziness, tiredness or upset stomach I have noticed?
- Is it safe to take my supplements with my prescription medicines?
- What is the best time of day for each dose?
- What should I do if I miss a dose?
Note any problems you have had with taking medicines, too, such as trouble swallowing tablets, opening packs or remembering doses. These practical details shape the advice you get.
MedsCheck and Home Medicines Review
There are two government-funded reviews. A MedsCheck is a one-on-one review with a pharmacist in a private consultation area of the pharmacy. Under the MedsCheck program rules, it is free for eligible people who hold a Medicare or DVA card, live at home, have not had one in the past 12 months, and either take five or more prescription medicines, have had a recent significant medical event, or take a high-risk medicine. You leave with an action plan agreed during the review.
A Home Medicines Review starts with your GP, who decides if you need one and refers you to a credentialed pharmacist. The pharmacist checks your medicines where you live and sends a report to your doctor. Healthdirect notes there is no charge for the review itself, although you may pay for the GP consultation unless it is bulk billed. Ask the pharmacist which review suits your situation.
Who gains most from a review
Anyone can benefit from understanding their medicines better, but a review is especially worthwhile if you:
- take many different medicines each day
- live with a long-term condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure
- have recently come home from hospital
- have new symptoms you think might be side effects
- see more than one doctor who prescribes for you
If blood pressure is one of your conditions, a free blood pressure check on the same visit adds a useful reading, and our article on how often to check blood pressure explains the timing. People managing diabetes can also ask about blood glucose screening.
After the review
Following the review, the next steps depend on what was found. Any suggested change to a prescription goes through your doctor, so book a GP appointment if the pharmacist recommends one. Keep your updated medicines list somewhere easy to find and take it to every appointment.
If remembering doses is the main problem, a Webster Pak packs every dose into its own labelled blister, set out by day and time. Our guides explain what a Webster Pak is and how to get one. Repeat scripts can also be delivered through our free local delivery, once the team has confirmed your street is covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a family member or carer come with me?
Yes. A carer who helps with your medicines can sit in and hear the advice first-hand, as long as you are happy for them to be there.
How often can I have a funded review?
Under the program rules, an eligible person can have one funded review in a 12-month period across MedsCheck, Diabetes MedsCheck and Home Medicines Review combined.
Do I need an appointment?
Phone (02) 9999 1186 or ask in store about the best time to come in. Our FAQs page covers other everyday questions.
Getting the most from your medication review
Preparing for your medication review is simple: collect every medicine, list your allergies and conditions, and jot down what you want to ask. That preparation lets the pharmacist spend the review on what matters to you, from side effects to a simpler daily routine.
Bring your medicines and your questions to Your Community Pharmacy in Newport and ask the pharmacist about a review.