At the doctor's

ensure that the medication is reviewed every two months, as it should be for elderly persons.
take all medications to clinic and hospital appointments.
tell/remind your doctor if other medications or treatments are being taken. Be aware if person is taking alternative treatments e.g. purgatives (make you vomit).
tell the doctor/clinic if the medication is not being taken and the reasons why.
go over your medicine record with the doctor or nurse at every visit and whenever your doctor prescribes new medicine. Your doctor may have new information about your medicines that might be important to you.
always tell your doctor or nurse about past problems you have had with medicines, such as rashes, indigestion, dizziness or not feeling hungry.
always ask your doctor or nurse about the right way to take any medicine before you start to use it.
ask the doctor why the medicine is being prescribed.
ask the doctor what side-effects to expect as they may occur early or late in the course of treatment. All medicines have side-effects which may make the symptoms/behaviour worse. Side-effects are usually related to the dose. The doctor will usually 'start low and go slow', gradually increasing the dose until the desired effects are achieved.
ask these questions (and write down the answers) before leaving your doctor's office: