How to keep a medication and supplement list that stays current
Writing the list takes ten minutes. Keeping it true takes one habit.
Why it is worth doing
Sooner or later someone asks, “What are you taking?” At a pharmacy counter, at a new clinic, on a form. A written list answers in seconds, and it matters most on the day you cannot remember, or when someone else has to answer for you.
What to write down
For each item, four things. All of them are on the pack or the pharmacy label.
- The name, as printed on the pack.
- The strength, such as 500 mg.
- How much you take, and how often.
- The time of day.
Put everything on it: what is prescribed, what you buy yourself, vitamins and herbal products, and things that are not tablets, such as drops, creams and inhalers.
The one habit: change it the day something changes
A list is right on the day it is written and wrong a year later. So when something is started, stopped or changed, update the list that day.
When you stop something, do not delete it. Mark it as stopped, with the date. “What have you tried before?” is asked almost as often as “What are you taking?”
How Sanomi does this
In Sanomi the list is not a separate document you have to remember to update. It is part of your day, and it can remind you when something is due.
- Enter each item once. Type the name or scan the label. Sanomi keeps the name, what is in it, the dose, how often and the time of day.
- Set a reminder on any item. Your phone lets you know when it is time, even with the app closed. You choose which items are worth a reminder; nothing is switched on for you.
- It appears on your day at its time, counted as taken unless you say otherwise. Because you see it every day, a list that has gone out of date is hard to miss.
- What you stopped is kept. An item can have a start date and an end date.
- It sits beside the rest of your record: conditions, allergies, lab results and journal.
- One list per person. Each person you look after has their own profile.
Questions users ask
Do supplements really belong on the list?
Yes. Whoever is asking wants the whole picture, and only you know what you buy for yourself.
What if I do not know the strength?
It is printed on the pack or the pharmacy label. If the pack is gone, write the name and “strength unknown”. A list with a gap is better than no list.
Can Sanomi help me think through adding or changing something?
Yes, up to a point. If you are thinking of adding a supplement, dropping one, or changing a routine, a “What if” report looks at that change on paper first: how it sits with your conditions, what you already take, and the goals you have set. It gives you something to weigh, and something to take into the conversation.
It does not make the decision. Sanomi does not diagnose medical conditions and it does not give medical advice. Anything prescribed stays between you and the health professional who prescribed it. For any question about what you take, or how items go together, talk to a qualified health professional.
Last reviewed: October 2026. More on this: Your health record · Plan your days · The people you care for.
Free to start. Cancel any time.