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A free medication list template for an elderly parent

Updated October 2026

Every doctor, pharmacist and ER nurse will ask the same question: what is she taking? A written medication list answers it in seconds and stops mistakes when a new doctor doesn't know about a pill someone else prescribed.

Below is what to put on the list, how to fill it in without guessing, and a free printable you can use today.

What to put on a medication list

  • The name of each medicine, exactly as it's written on the bottle
  • The strength, such as 20 mg or 500 mg
  • How much and how often, such as one tablet every morning
  • What it's for, in plain words: blood pressure, sleep, memory
  • When it was started and which doctor ordered it
  • Over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements too, since they can interact with prescriptions
  • Allergies and bad reactions to medicines, at the top where nobody can miss them
  • The pharmacy's name and phone number

How to fill it in without guessing

  1. Gather every bottle, box, inhaler, cream and eye drop in the house into one bag.
  2. Copy each one onto the list straight from the label, one line per medicine.
  3. Bring the bag and the list to the pharmacist and ask them to check it against their records. They can spot duplicates and medicines that no longer belong.
  4. Write the date at the top. A list with no date is hard to trust.

Keep it current: record changes, don't just cross out

Lists go stale the first time a dose changes. Instead of crossing out and squeezing in new numbers, keep a short log next to the list: the date, the medicine, what changed, who ordered it and why. When the next doctor asks when you lowered the water pill and why, the answer is there.

Then rewrite the current list from the log whenever something changes, and date it again.

Where to keep copies

  • In their wallet or purse, folded or as a wallet card
  • On the fridge, where paramedics often look for it
  • In the hospital go-bag
  • A photo on your phone and on anyone else's who helps

Questions

Should vitamins and supplements go on the list?

Yes. Doctors and pharmacists need to know about everything, including over-the-counter pain relievers, sleep aids, vitamins and herbal supplements.

How often should the list be updated?

Every time a medicine starts, stops or changes dose, and at least once a year with the pharmacist. Date the list each time.

Is a spreadsheet better than paper?

A spreadsheet can rebuild the current list from the change log for you and print a fresh copy whenever you need it. Paper works too, as long as it's dated and kept current.

This guide is general information for families, not medical or legal advice. Always confirm medicines with the pharmacist or doctor.