A New Prescription: Five Label Details to Confirm With a Pharmacist

By the Clear Health Evidence Team

When you pick up a new prescription, check five label details before you leave the pharmacy: your name, the directions, the prescription number, the expiration date, and whether you can read the label. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) advises checking the label before leaving and making sure it “should have your name on it and the directions provided by your doctor.” If anything is unclear, ask the pharmacist while you are still at the counter.

This guide turns federal health guidance into a short checklist and a set of questions. It does not tell you whether a medicine is right for you. Your prescriber and pharmacist can help with that.

First: When Not to Wait

• Emergency: If you think you may be having a medical emergency, call your local emergency number now.
• Trouble with a medicine: The NIA advises you to “call your doctor right away if you have any trouble with your prescriptions, OTC medicines, or supplements.”
• Before stopping: The NIA advises that you should not stop taking a prescription drug “unless your doctor says it’s okay,” even if you feel better.

The Five Label Details to Confirm

1. Your Name

The NIA says the label “should have your name on it.” Check that it is your name and that it is spelled correctly. The NIA also advises: “Do not take medicines prescribed for another person or give yours to someone else.”

2. The Directions

The label should show the directions from your prescriber. Make sure you understand how much to take, how often, and when. The NIA suggests asking questions like these:

• “How many times a day should I take it? At what time(s)?”
• “What does ‘as needed’ mean?”
• “If I forget to take my medicine, what should I do?”
• “Should I take the medicine with food or not?”
• “Is it safe for me to drive while taking this medication?”

Prescriptions sometimes use short abbreviations. The NIA lists common ones: bid means “twice a day,” prn means “as needed,” ac means “before meals,” pc means “after meals,” and hs means “at bedtime.” If directions say “on an empty stomach,” the NIA explains that this “generally means that you should take your pills at least two hours before you eat or two hours after you eat.” Ask the pharmacist what it means for your medicine.

3. The Prescription Number

The NIA notes that the prescription number is “usually printed in the upper left corner of the label.” Find it before you leave so you know where it is if you need to call the pharmacy with a question.

4. The Expiration Date

The NIA advises checking “the expiration dates on your medication bottles” and says: “Don’t take medicines that are past their expiration date.” Find the date on the container while you are at the counter, and ask the pharmacist if you can’t find it.

5. Whether You Can Read It

A label only helps if you can read it. The NIA says you can ask the pharmacist for larger type if the label is hard to read.

Questions to Ask Before You Leave the Counter

• Is this the medicine I expected? Ask the pharmacist to confirm the medicine name matches what your prescriber discussed. If it looks different, ask whether it is a generic version. The NIA explains that a generic drug is made “to work the same way and have the same effects as an already marketed brand-name drug.”
• How should I store it? The NIA suggests asking about “special instructions on where to store a medicine,” such as whether it “should be kept in the refrigerator or in another climate-controlled place.”
• Can I open it? Tell the pharmacist if you cannot open the container, as the NIA suggests.
• Can I swallow it? Tell the pharmacist if you have trouble swallowing pills. The NIA advises: “Do not chew, break, or crush tablets without first asking if this will change the way the drug works.”
• Can I tell it apart from my other medicines? The NIA advises making sure you can tell your medicines apart “by size, shape, color, or the number imprinted on the pill.”
• Is there a Medication Guide? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes a Medication Guide as patient labeling that is part of the FDA-approved labeling “for certain prescription drugs.” Not every medicine has one. When one is required, the FDA says it is given in paper form when the medicine is dispensed, and you may ask for it electronically instead.

Some questions belong with your prescriber. The NIA suggests asking, “Will I need a refill? If so, will I need a follow-up appointment or other testing before I can refill the medication?” and “What should I do if I want to stop taking this medicine? Is it safe to stop abruptly?” For help preparing these, see our reader path Questions for Pharmacists and Prescribers.

Evidence Ladder: Where Each Part of This Guide Comes From

1. Official FDA description: What a Medication Guide is, and how it is given, comes from the FDA’s own Medication Guides page.
2. Federal health guidance: The label checks, storage questions, abbreviations, and suggested questions come from the NIA’s guide on taking medicines safely. That page was last reviewed September 22, 2022.
3. Our editorial organization: Grouping the checks into five label details and a counter checklist is our choice to make the guidance easier to use. It is not an official standard.
4. Your situation: Whether a medicine fits your health, your other medicines, or your routine is a question for your prescriber and pharmacist.

What Is Known Versus What Only Your Care Team Can Answer

Known From the Sources

• A prescription label should show your name and your prescriber’s directions (NIA).
• The prescription number is usually in the upper left corner of the label (NIA).
• You can ask for larger type and for help with hard-to-open containers (NIA).
• Filling prescriptions at the same pharmacy keeps your records “in one place,” which the NIA says helps alert the pharmacist to possible drug interactions.
• Certain prescription drugs come with an FDA-approved Medication Guide (FDA).

Not Answered by This Article

• Whether your medicine interacts with anything else you take.
• Whether your dose is right for you.
• Whether it is safe for you to split, crush, skip, or stop a dose.
• Which side effects matter for you.

Your Next-Step Checklist

• My name is on the label and spelled correctly.
• I understand the directions: how much, how often, what times, and whether to take it with food.
• I know what to do if I miss a dose.
• I found the prescription number.
• I found the expiration date.
• I can read the label, or I asked for larger type.
• The pharmacist confirmed the medicine name matches what I expected.
• I know how to store it.
• I can open the container.
• I asked whether there is a Medication Guide.
• I added this medicine to my written medicine list.

The NIA recommends writing down every medicine you take, including over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements, with “the name of each medicine or supplement, the amount you take, and time(s) you take it.” Our reader path Build a Reliable Medication List explains how to keep that list current.

If Something Seems Wrong After You Get Home

• Call the pharmacy and have the prescription number ready.
• Call your prescriber if you have any trouble with the medicine, as the NIA advises.
• The FDA’s consumer drug information page includes a way to report a serious reaction to a medication.
• For general drug information questions, the FDA lists its Division of Drug Information at (855) 543-3784 (toll free). This does not replace advice from your own care team.

Sources

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Information for Consumers and Patients: Drugs.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Medication Guides.
• National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. Taking Medicines Safely as You Age.

To learn how we choose and check sources, see How We Research.

About This Article

This article is general health information for education only. It is not medical advice and does not replace talking with your pharmacist, prescriber, or another qualified health professional. It does not diagnose conditions, recommend treatments, or tell you to start, stop, or change any medicine. Clear Health Evidence is an educational publication and does not represent any clinic or medical practice. This article was written by the Clear Health Evidence Editorial Desk, not by a physician or pharmacist. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.