Print this page, fill it in, and bring it to your next doctor or pharmacy visit. It takes about ten minutes and helps your care team spot problems between your supplements and your medicines before they happen.

Why it matters: an AARP report notes that nearly 3 in 4 adults 60 and older take supplements, and quotes the U.S. Pharmacopeia saying that fewer than half of supplement users tell their doctors. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) advises telling all of your health care providers about every supplement and medicine you take, and updating that list at every visit.

Step 1: My supplement and medication list

Include prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, minerals, herbs, powders and drink mixes. NCCIH suggests writing down the dose and how often you take each one.

Name of product	Dose	How often	Why I take it	Started

Tip: NCCIH also suggests you can simply bring the bottles with you. A phone photo of each label works too.

Step 2: Questions to ask your doctor or pharmacist

Do any of my supplements interact with my prescription or over-the-counter medicines?
Do I actually need this supplement, or could a blood test tell us if I am low?
Am I getting too much of any vitamin or mineral when I add up all my products?
Should I stop any supplement before surgery or a medical procedure? How many days before?
Is this dose right for my age, my kidneys and my other health conditions?
Is there a time of day, or a meal, that I should take each one with?
What side effects should make me stop and call you?
When should we review this list again?

Step 3: Check the label in 60 seconds

Daily Value over 200–300%? Experts quoted by AARP call this a red flag, especially for vitamins A, D, E and K, which build up in the body.
Is there a “proprietary blend”? Blends hide how much of each ingredient you get. Labels that list every amount are easier for your pharmacist to check.
Is there a third-party seal, such as USP Verified or NSF? These test what is in the bottle.
Does it promise to cure, reverse or replace medicine? NCCIH reminds consumers that supplements do not have to be proven safe or effective before they are sold, and “natural” does not mean “safe.”
Do you have the directions? Note the serving size, how often and with what (food, water).

Step 4: Known interaction red flags to mention

These are well-documented examples from public health sources. They are not a complete list, which is exactly why the conversation in Step 2 matters.

Blood thinners (such as warfarin): NCCIH notes CoQ10 may interact with warfarin, and experts quoted by AARP warn about higher-dose vitamin E and St. John’s wort with blood thinners.
St. John’s wort: NCCIH says it interacts with many medicines, including some antidepressants, birth control pills and HIV medicines.
Potassium: the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says people with kidney disease, or who take ACE inhibitors, ARBs or potassium-sparing diuretics, should talk to their provider about potassium from supplements and salt substitutes.
Magnesium: the NIH sets 350 mg a day as the upper limit for magnesium from supplements and medicines, so add up every product that contains it.
Diabetes medicines: NCCIH lists insulin as a possible interaction with CoQ10, and WebMD notes D-ribose may lower blood sugar.
Cancer treatment or HIV treatment: NCCIH advises discussing every supplement with your care team.

Step 5: When to update this list

Every doctor, dentist or specialist visit
Whenever you start, stop or change a medicine or supplement
Before any surgery or hospital stay
When you pick up a new prescription at the pharmacy

Free to share. Caregivers, senior centers, libraries and health writers are welcome to print this checklist or link to it. To share it on your website, copy this link:

<a href="https://wellnesspressnow.com/supplement-medication-checklist/">Supplement &amp; Medication Checklist for Adults 50+</a>

This checklist is general education, not medical advice. Your doctor and pharmacist know your health best. Updated October 27, 2026.

Sources

Looking at a specific product? Read our label-checked supplement reviews.