My father sees several doctors: how do I organise his medication?
When each specialist prescribes their own medicines, nobody sees the whole treatment unless the family brings it together: one list and one coordinator prevent duplicates and interactions.
In short
- With several doctors prescribing, the main risk is that nobody has the full picture of the treatment, which makes duplicates and interactions more likely.
- The solution is a single, up to date list of all the medication, taken to every appointment.
- The GP is best placed to review and reconcile the whole treatment, with support from the pharmacist.
- One regular pharmacy and the electronic prescription help spot duplicates before they reach the home.
If your father has several doctors and many prescriptions, the best way to organise his medication is to bring everything together in one list, ask the GP to review the whole treatment and use one regular pharmacy. Each specialist knows their own part well, but the overall picture is often left to the family.
We explain why this happens, who should coordinate and how to prepare each appointment so that nothing slips through.
| What will you find in this article? |
Why is it risky for several doctors to prescribe at the same time?
Because each doctor may see only part of the treatment. When prescriptions from the GP, the cardiologist, the neurologist or the orthopaedic specialist add up, duplicates, interactions and medicines that are no longer needed become more likely.
It is a common situation: according to Spain’s Ministry of Health, almost three in ten people aged 65 or over in Spain take five or more long term medicines, and the report warns of prescribing patterns not justified by actual illness. The Valencian regional government’s guide to appropriate prescribing in older people with polypharmacy includes among its review criteria any simultaneous prescription of two medicines of the same class, which happens more easily when several professionals prescribe.
Who should coordinate the whole treatment?
The GP is best placed to coordinate the whole treatment, because they see the person over time and have access to the primary care record. The pharmacist is a great ally in spotting duplicates and interactions.
The Ministry of Health’s recommendations on medication reconciliation in primary care propose prioritising reviews for people taking five or more medicines, people taking high risk medicines such as anticoagulants, insulins or opioids, and people just discharged from hospital or seen in A&E.
Electronic prescriptions also help. Among the services of the interoperable electronic prescription, the Ministry lists “active treatment”, which lets the pharmacist see the person’s full treatment. You can find out more in our guide to electronic prescriptions and the health card.
How do you put together a single medication list?
Gather every pack in the house, including those bought without a prescription, and write each medicine on one list. It is the most useful tool for any professional who sees your father.
| Column | Example of what to note |
|---|---|
| Medicine and dose | Active ingredient and brand name, and milligrams |
| What it is for | Blood pressure, cholesterol, pain, sleep... |
| Who prescribes it | GP, cardiologist, neurologist... |
| When it is taken | Time and relation to meals |
| Since when and until when | Start date and whether it is short or long term |
| Notes | Side effects, allergies, recent changes |
Also note supplements, herbal remedies, creams, eye drops and inhalers, because they count too. Keep the list on your phone and on paper, and update it whenever something changes.
What should you do at each specialist appointment?
Always take the complete list and ask how anything new fits with what he already takes. That way the specialist can take the whole treatment into account when deciding.
- Show the updated list at the start of the appointment.
- If something new is prescribed, ask whether it replaces an earlier medicine or is added to it.
- Ask whether anything prescribed by another doctor should be stopped or adjusted.
- Ask for the changes to be written in the report.
- Afterwards, tell the GP and the pharmacy about the changes and update the list.
Our list of questions for your doctor can help you prepare.
A practical example: Ramón and his four doctors
Take the case of Ramón, 84, who is followed by his GP, a cardiologist, a urologist and a rheumatologist. His daughter Ana discovers two stomach protectors of different brands at home, which Ramón takes together because different doctors prescribed them, and an anti inflammatory he bought himself.
The sensible thing would be for Ana to make the single list from all the packs, book a GP appointment for a full medication review and, in the meantime, not withdraw anything on her own. It would also be worth asking the pharmacist about the anti inflammatory, using one regular pharmacy and telling each specialist about any changes agreed with the GP.
How can IMA Health help you?
When prescriptions come from several doctors, having everything prepared in one system brings peace of mind. With IMA Health, a specialised pharmacy prepares all the medication by the day and time of each dose, and IMA coordinates with the pharmacy the changes the doctors make, handles home delivery and provides personalised follow-up. This reduces the risk of the most common mistakes when organising medication.
Sources
- Spanish Ministry of Health: recommendations on medication reconciliation in primary care for people with chronic conditions (2022, in Spanish)
- Spanish Ministry of Health: interoperable electronic prescription in the National Health System
- Spanish Ministry of Health: polypharmacy reaches 45% of people aged 85 to 94 (January 2026, in Spanish)
- Portal del Medicamento, Castile and León regional government: guide to appropriate prescribing in older people with polypharmacy (in Spanish)
This article is for information only and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist.