Before taking a newly dispensed prescription or a refill that looks different, compare the pharmacy label with the prescription or instructions you were given. Check that the medicine is for you and that its name, strength, form, dose, route, frequency, and any specified duration agree. If something is unclear or does not match, set the medicine aside and ask the pharmacist to verify the order; do not guess at the intended dose.
How do I know if my prescription was filled correctly?
Read the pharmacy label every time, including for refills. MedlinePlus advises: “Don’t just rely on your memory – read the medication label every time.” (MedlinePlus, Medication Errors.) Compare the label with your prescription copy or the directions you received, rather than relying on memory or on how the medicine looks.
Check these details:
- Patient: Your name should be on the label.
- Medicine: Confirm the medicine name.
- Strength and dose: Check the strength printed for the product and the amount you are instructed to take. They are related but not interchangeable: for example, a label may identify the strength of each tablet while the directions specify how many to take.
- Form: Confirm whether it is a tablet, capsule, liquid, or another form.
- Route: Check how the medicine is to be taken, when a route is stated.
- Frequency and duration: Compare how often to take it and how long to continue, including a stop date if one was specified.
- Special instructions: Read any additional directions or warnings on the label.
FDA describes prescription labeling as including information such as the medicine name, dosage form, strength, route, and warnings; MedlinePlus also highlights checking the medicine name, dose, and frequency. See the FDA prescription-labeling FAQ and MedlinePlus guidance on filling a prescription.
What should I check on my prescription label?
Compare the label with the instructions you received
Use the prescription copy or the instructions from your clinician as the comparison point. Check each field rather than asking only whether the medicine name seems familiar. A difference in the strength, form, amount per dose, schedule, route, or specified duration is a reason to confirm the directions before taking the medicine.
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Notice changes in appearance, but do not treat appearance as proof
A tablet or capsule that looks different from your previous supply does not, by itself, prove that the pharmacy made an error. A generic or brand substitution can change a medicine’s appearance. If the medicine looks different from what you have been taking, confirm it with the pharmacy or your provider before taking it. Do not use a pill’s appearance or an online identifier to decide whether it matches your individual order.
Keep your medication information current
Maintain a current list of prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbs, along with allergies, and bring it to healthcare visits. MedlinePlus recommends keeping this information available to help prevent medication errors (Medication Errors).
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The directions on my prescription look wrong—what should I do?
- Pause before taking it. If a direction is inconsistent, unfamiliar, hard to read, or different from what you were told, set the medicine aside while you confirm it.
- Call the dispensing pharmacy. Ask the pharmacist to compare the label with the actual prescription or dispensing record. State which detail concerns you—for example, the strength, number of tablets, frequency, or duration.
- Ask for the confirmed directions in clear terms. Have the pharmacist explain exactly how much to take, how often, and for how long, as applicable.
- Ask the pharmacist to contact the prescriber if needed. If the order itself is ambiguous or the pharmacist cannot establish the intended directions, the prescriber may need to clarify it.
- If a dose is due and you cannot reach them, seek timely advice. Contact an appropriate healthcare professional rather than improvising, skipping, doubling, or changing a dose based on a guess.
Can a pharmacist check whether my prescription is right?
A pharmacist can review the dispensing record and help interpret the instructions. The FDA says of pharmacists, “They are experts at interpreting information for patients.” (FDA, FDA Pharmacists Help You Use Medicines Safely.) If the individual order does not make the intended directions clear, ask the pharmacist to contact the prescriber.
General drug-information pages are useful for learning about a medicine, but they cannot confirm that a particular pharmacy label matches your prescriber’s intent. FDA’s Learn About Your Medicines page and FDALabel provide drug-label information; they do not verify an individual prescription transcription. Select the correct medicine and formulation when consulting such information, and rely on the pharmacy or prescriber to resolve a question about your order.
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