Getting Ready for Medical Appointments
Schedule an appointment with your provider
Call your doctor and ask to make an appointment. Put the date and time into your phone calendar so you don’t miss your appointment.
If you can’t make the appointment, call the doctor’s office and cancel.
A primary care provider is the doctor, nurse, or health care professional you see for routine care.
What to do before your appointment
Always bring a list of the medicine you take, or the pill bottles, to your appointment. This information is very important for every visit.
You can also bring someone you trust to your appointment. This will help you remember what the doctor said.
Write down the names of medicines and vitamins you are taking, any health concerns you have, and questions you have for the doctor.
Bring the name and address of the pharmacy where you want to pick up prescriptions.
Make sure you have reliable transportation to get to your appointment.
Go to your appointment at least 15 minutes early so you have time to fill out the paperwork.
What to do during your appointment
Tell the doctor your health concerns and questions
Ask what tests are right for your age
Repeat the instructions back to your doctor to make sure you understand. If you don’t understand something, ask the doctor to tell you again. If you forget what the doctor said, call the doctor’s office and ask them for the instructions.
Tell your doctor if you don’t understand, or don’t want the medicine or treatment.
Some other common questions can include:
What is this test for?
Are there alternative treatments?
Why do you recommend this treatment?
Does this medicine have any side effects?
Will this medicine react with something I’m already taking?
How many times have you done this surgery or procedure?
What to do after your appointment
After your appointment, go to the pharmacy to pick up any prescriptions the doctor ordered during your appointment. Talk to the pharmacist about how to take the medicine.
If the instructions from the pharmacist don’t match the doctor’s instructions, call your doctor’s office.
You can download a printable PDF of this information
Click the image to download a copy in English and Spanish.
