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Daily prescriptions are rarely forgotten, but the odd tea, sachet or gym powder often is. This guide shows how a full product list sharpens a herbal discussion.

Items that slip through the net

Ask someone which medicines they take and the regular prescriptions usually come out at once. The lemon and ginger sachet reached for during a cold, the pre-workout scoop or the occasional magnesium tablet tends to be overlooked, as do eye drops and skin creams. In a herbal consultation, those sporadic products count just as much as the daily ones.

Compiling a reliable list

Instead of trying to recall everything mid-appointment, while also answering new questions, prepare the details at home and take them along to Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist. A thorough list covers:

• brand and product names, ideally with photos of each label
• an estimate of how frequently each one is used
• medicines from your doctor, a specialist or any other practitioner
• products you have dropped lately, with an approximate date

Whenever a new product is on the horizon, run it past the practitioners already involved in your care first.

Natural does not equal compatible

Two remedies labelled natural are not automatically safe to combine. Full disclosure allows possible interactions to be weighed rather than assumed away. When shortlisting herbal practitioners, readers may ask how interaction checks with prescribed medicines are carried out.

Clarity as the plan continues

A herbal plan stays manageable when its product name, directions and review date are easy to locate. Keep the directions with the original container, and let Christine hear about any medicine that is added, ceased or altered. If a puzzling symptom crops up, check in with Christine before touching the dose.

A habit worth building

Maintaining an up-to-date note on your phone listing every medicine, supplement and tea pays off at each appointment, whether at the Lane Cove clinic, the pharmacy counter or your GP's surgery. It is a modest step that gives every practitioner the whole picture.