(en español)
Medicine List Wallet Card May Be Worth More Than Money in an Emergency
What's in your wallet? Money? Driver's License? ID Card? Those are all good things to carry, but having a list of the medicines you take is also very important. If you are ever hurt in an accident or if you become very ill, the list gives emergency medical personnel information that can save your life. It is also important to take a list of your medicines with you when you visit your doctor's office.
The List It. Don't Risk It project of Safe Care Wisconsin was created to inform people of the need to have a medicine list, to provide a form for making the list and to remind people to carry the list with them.
A form for making your list is available in the For Patients section of this site. Use the link at the bottom of this page to go directly to the My Medicine List page. A medicine list form also is available from many doctor's offices or pharmacies.
Once you have filled out the form, be sure to inform loved ones that you have a list and where you keep it. Be sure to carry the list with you in your wallet or purse. According to Chris, a nurse in the emergency department of a busy Wisconsin hospital, "when a patient comes into the emergency room, the family is worried and often they don’t know or can't remember what medicine their loved one takes. Carrying a list of medicines in a wallet or purse quickly gives the nurses or doctors information needed to care for the patient."
Be sure to List It. Don't Risk It. Make your medicine list right now. Be sure to write down:
Name of the medicine(s) you take
How often you take them
Why you take them
Name of the doctor who prescribed the medicine(s)
Allergies or reactions to medicines
Diseases you have (for example; diabetes, heart condition, blood pressure, etc.)
Click here to download and learn more about My Medicine List.