A medication review is a one-on-one conversation with your pharmacist about all the drugs and supplements you take
During a medication review, your pharmacist sits down with you to look at every medicine you're taking — prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements. The pharmacist checks whether the drugs work well together, whether you're taking the right dose, and whether any of them might be causing side effects you didn't connect to the medication. The goal is to make sure your medicines are actually helping you and not causing harm.
This is different from a quick conversation at the pharmacy counter when you pick up a prescription. A medication review is scheduled in advance, takes 30 to 60 minutes, and focuses entirely on your complete medication picture. Many insurance plans cover it, and some states allow pharmacists to bill Medicare or Medicaid directly for the service.
Key Takeaways
- Bring a list of everything you take — all prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements — or bring the bottles themselves.
- Your pharmacist will check for drug interactions, duplicate medications, and doses that may be too high or too low for your age or kidney function.
- The pharmacist may suggest talking to your doctor about stopping a medication, changing a dose, or switching to something else.
- You will receive a written summary of the review and any recommendations, which you can share with your doctor.
- Most insurance plans cover medication reviews, though coverage varies by plan and state.
What to bring and how to prepare
Bring every medicine bottle you have at home — prescription and over-the-counter. If that feels like too much, write down the name of each drug, the dose, and how often you take it. Include vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements, pain relievers, allergy medications, and anything else you swallow, inhale, or rub on your skin. Don't leave anything out because you think it's not important; even a daily vitamin can interact with a prescription drug.
Also bring a list of any health conditions you have — heart disease, diabetes, kidney problems, liver disease — because these change how your body handles medications. If you've had bad reactions to drugs in the past, write those down too. The pharmacist will ask about side effects you've noticed, so think beforehand about whether you've felt dizzy, nauseous, confused, or unusually tired since starting a new medicine.
How the pharmacist reviews your medications
The pharmacist starts by going through each medicine with you: what it's for, when you take it, and whether you're actually taking it the way you're supposed to. Many people don't take medicines exactly as prescribed — they skip doses, take less than prescribed, or forget — and the pharmacist needs to know the real picture, not the ideal one.
Next, the pharmacist checks a computer database to look for drug interactions — situations where two medicines don't work well together or where one makes the other stronger or weaker. The pharmacist also looks for duplicate therapy, which means you're taking two drugs that do the same thing (for example, two different blood pressure medicines when one might be enough). The pharmacist checks whether your doses make sense for your age, weight, and kidney or liver function, because older adults and people with kidney disease often need lower doses than younger, healthier people.
The pharmacist may also flag medications that are on a list called the Beers Criteria — drugs that are known to cause problems in older adults and should be avoided or used with caution. If you're taking any of these, the pharmacist will discuss whether a safer alternative exists.
What the pharmacist might recommend
Based on the review, your pharmacist might suggest several things. The pharmacist might recommend that you talk to your doctor about stopping a medicine you no longer need, lowering a dose that's too high, or switching to a different drug that works better or causes fewer side effects. The pharmacist might also suggest taking a medicine at a different time of day to avoid an interaction, or adding a new medication to treat a side effect caused by another drug.
These are suggestions, not orders. The pharmacist cannot change your prescriptions without your doctor's approval. But pharmacists have specialized training in how drugs work and interact, and doctors often value their input. Your pharmacist will give you a written summary of the review and the recommendations so you can take it to your doctor's appointment and discuss it together.
When to schedule a medication review
You should have a medication review if you take multiple prescription drugs, if you've recently started a new medicine and aren't sure how it's affecting you, or if you've noticed new side effects. People with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure — especially those taking three or more medicines — benefit from regular reviews, sometimes once or twice a year.
A good time to schedule one is after a hospital stay or emergency room visit, when your medications may have changed. It's also useful after your doctor has made changes to your prescriptions, or if you've started buying over-the-counter medications or supplements without telling your doctor.
How to request a medication review
Call your pharmacy and ask whether they offer medication reviews. Most chain pharmacies and independent pharmacies do. Ask whether the pharmacist needs to schedule it in advance (most do) and whether your insurance covers it. Some pharmacies call it a "comprehensive medication review," a "brown bag review," or a "medication therapy management" session — the name varies, but the service is the same.
If your pharmacy doesn't offer reviews, ask your doctor for a referral to a pharmacist who does, or contact a local hospital pharmacy. Some community health centers also have pharmacists who do medication reviews. You can also ask your insurance company which pharmacies in your network offer the service and whether it's covered under your plan.
What happens after the review
You'll receive a written report that summarizes all your medications, any problems the pharmacist found, and the recommendations. Take this to your next doctor's appointment and go through it together. Your doctor may agree with all the recommendations, some of them, or none — that's your doctor's decision to make. But the review gives your doctor information they might not have had before, especially if you see multiple doctors who don't always communicate with each other.
After the review, stay in touch with your pharmacist about how changes are working. If your doctor makes a change based on the pharmacist's recommendation, let the pharmacist know so they can monitor whether the new plan is helping. Your pharmacist is a resource you can call anytime you have questions about your medicines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the pharmacist tell my doctor what we discussed?
Only if you ask them to. The pharmacist will give you a written summary to share with your doctor, but the pharmacist won't contact your doctor without your permission. You can ask the pharmacist to send the report directly to your doctor if you prefer.
What if I can't afford to stop taking a medicine the pharmacist recommends?
Tell your pharmacist and your doctor. Cost is a real reason to keep taking a medicine even if it's not ideal. Your doctor and pharmacist can work with you to find options — sometimes a generic version costs less, or your doctor can write a prescription for a different drug that's cheaper and works similarly.
Can I have a medication review if I take my prescriptions at different pharmacies?
Yes, but bring all your bottles with you or write down everything you take. The pharmacist can only see what's in their own system, so if you fill prescriptions at multiple places, the pharmacist won't automatically know about drugs you get elsewhere. Tell the pharmacist where you fill each prescription so they have the complete picture.
Does a medication review mean my doctor did something wrong?
No. Doctors prescribe based on what they know at the time, and they're managing many patients. A pharmacist's job is to focus deeply on your medicines and catch things that might have been missed. It's a second set of eyes, not a criticism of your doctor's care.
How often should I have a medication review?
If you take three or more medicines regularly, once a year is reasonable. If you have complex health conditions or your medications change often, twice a year may help. Ask your pharmacist what they recommend based on your situation.