Medication review before a procedure

Category: Consultation · Editorial Review: Updated 20 October 2026 · 3 minute read

Make a complete list

Record each prescription and nonprescription product, the dose, the reason you take it, and the schedule. Include herbal preparations, vitamins, injections, and medicines used only occasionally. Products purchased in different countries may have different brand names, so include the generic name or a photograph of the labelled packaging.

Ask who coordinates changes

The procedural doctor may need input from the clinician managing a heart condition, diabetes, immune disorder, or another illness. Ask for written instructions identifying exactly which medicine changes, when, and for how long. Do not interpret a general clinic message about blood thinners or supplements as a personal instruction to stop a prescribed drug.

Plan for the travel period

Carry enough medication for the planned stay and discuss a contingency supply for delays. Confirm storage requirements with a pharmacist and ask about documentation for medicines crossing borders. A travel schedule can change meal and sleep times; ask how this affects medicines that must be taken at particular times or with food.

Reconcile after treatment

At discharge, compare the new medication list with the original. Identify added prescriptions, discontinued drugs, and any duplicate ingredients. Ask who to call if instructions conflict. Send the final list to your home clinician and pharmacist so that a short overseas procedure does not leave you with an unclear long-term regimen.

A medication handover example

A patient may take one medicine under a brand name at home and receive a second prescription abroad containing the same ingredient. Bringing generic names and doses helps the clinicians identify duplication. If a medicine is temporarily withheld, the written plan should also say who decides when to restart it. An instruction to stop before a procedure is incomplete when nobody has addressed the period after discharge.

Questions for the prescribing team

Ask whether each proposed change has been discussed with the clinician who normally manages that medicine. Clarify what to do if a dose is missed during travel, if you vomit after taking it, or if the stay is extended. These answers should come from a clinician or pharmacist familiar with your regimen. Keep the final instructions together rather than scattered across messages from several people.

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Sources & further reading

• ISSCR: Questions to discuss with your doctor

Read alongside your treating specialist’s advice. Clinical eligibility, exact products and treatment plans require individual assessment.