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Medicine Safety

Medicine safety resources

Use the following resources to learn about medicine safety.

Preparing for your doctor’s visit

Taking your medicines safely

Tracking and managing your medicines

Learn more

Poison & Drug Information Service (PADIS): This service gives confidential advice about poisons, chemicals, medicines, and herbal products.
Safe Medication Use: This website is part of the Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention System. Its goal is to prevent harmful medicine errors.

Current as of: July 24, 2024

Author: Medication Quality and Safety Team - Pharmacy Services, Alberta Health Services

This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.

Medicine Safety

Know your medicines

If you take medicine (also called medication), it’s important to know all the medicines you take and how you take them.

Keep an up-to-date list of everything you take and carry the list with you. Show the list every time you see your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider. This information can help them give you the best care and even prevent a dangerous medicine situation.

Here you will learn more about keeping a medicine list and why it’s important. You will also find tools and resources about medicine safety.

Why keep a medicine list

Your doctor and healthcare team work to keep correct and up-to-date lists of the medicine you take. But they may not know every medicine you take if you:

See more than one healthcare provider.
Go to more than one pharmacy to fill a prescription.
Are not taking the medicine the way it was prescribed.

If your healthcare team doesn’t know everything you take, something could be missed—like a medicine that is very important to your health or a medicine that doesn’t work well with another.

What to put on a medicine list

Medicines are more than just prescriptions. Here is what to include on your medicine list:

over-the-counter pain killers, cold medicines, and laxatives.
vitamins and minerals
homeopathic, natural, and herbal remedies
recreational drugs (such as cannabis)
patches and inhalers
eye, ear, and nose drops
creams, lotions, ointments
samples from your doctor
anything you may be taking as part of a research study

There are many medicine tracking tools to help you make and update your list.

Lists and tools for taking medicine safely

Other languages

Written list

Knowing when, how, and why you take medicine is important for safety.

The Alberta Health Services Medication List (below) can help you and your family keep track of everything you take to keep you healthy, such as pills, vitamins, and herbs.

When you see your doctor or pharmacist, have a medical appointment or test, or go to the hospital or emergency room, take your list with you.

Medication list (letter size)

Download this letter-sized template.

Find translated versions at the end of this page.

Medication list (wallet size)

Download this smaller wallet-sized template.

Mobile application

You can download the MyMedRec app to your Android or Apple mobile device.

The app lets you:

keep track of the medicine that you or your family take
create profiles for other people
get reminders for when to take a medicine or when a refill is due
email up-to-date health information to your doctor or family

The MyMedRec app is maintained by a third party. MyHealth.Alberta.ca doesn’t endorse and is not responsible for the content or accuracy of this app.

Medicine schedule

This Daily Medicine Schedule form can help remind you when to take your medicines. Post this sheet where you can see it, such as near your medicine cabinet, the place you store your medicines, or on your refrigerator.

Questions to ask about new medicines

When your doctor recommends a new medicine for your health condition, use the questions included in the New Medicines: Questions to Ask the Doctor list to make sure it’s safe for you.

Medicine safety resources

Use the following resources to learn about medicine safety.