How to Prepare Your Supplement List for a Procedure

A written list is the simplest way to make sure your surgical, anesthesia and dental teams know what you take. This page gives a checklist and a table you can print or copy. It is only a way to record what you use. It does not tell you what to stop; your team decides that, and the prescriber or pharmacist advises on prescribed medicines.

Why a list helps

• The ASA says studies show half of people who use herbal supplements do not tell their doctors before surgery. [1]
• A literature review estimates one-third of US adults use herbal supplements, often without reporting it to their physicians. [2]
• A 2026 review notes these products are often left out of the pre-surgery interview because patients do not think of them as medications. [3]
• In a survey of 1,428 patients before surgery in Taiwan, about half reported using traditional Chinese herbal medicine and about two thirds supplements in the past month. [4] Your list should include traditional medicines too; see Chinese herbs before and after surgery and Ayurvedic herbs before surgery.

What NIH, FDA and the ASA ask you to write down

NCCIH says you can bring a written list of all the prescription and over-the-counter medicines you take, including supplements, how often you take them, and the doses. [5] FDA says to include the dosages and how many times a day you take them. [6] The ASA asks you to include all medications, herbs and dietary supplements, including vitamins. [1] Expert consensus adds that patients should be asked specifically about cannabinoid products. [7]

Your checklist

1. Gather everything: prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, minerals, herbs, teas, tinctures, oils, powders, gummies, sports and weight-loss products, and cannabis or CBD products.
2. Copy the name, the form (capsule, tablet, tea, tincture, liquid) and the amount and schedule exactly as printed on the label, or as your prescriber directed.
3. Photograph or bring the bottles. NCCIH says bottles help your provider answer questions about ingredients, and the ASA says they show what and how much you take. [5] [1]
4. Note anything you use only sometimes, and anything you started recently or stopped recently.
5. Update the list each time you visit a provider. [5]
6. Bring it to your pre-surgery or pre-procedure visit. An expert consensus notes that this visit is typically scheduled at least 2 weeks before a planned procedure. [7] NCCIH advises talking to providers as far in advance as possible. [8]
7. Give a copy to a loved one. If surgery is an emergency, NCCIH says you or a loved one should still tell the surgeon and anesthesia provider what you take. [8]
8. Ask the surgical team, anesthesia provider and pharmacist what to do about each item. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own.

Blank table to copy or print

Questions to ask

• Which of these should I discuss with the anesthesia provider?
• Is anything on my list a concern for bleeding, blood pressure or sedation for my kind of procedure?
• What should I do about prescribed medicines, and who will tell me?
• If something should be paused, what exactly, and until when?

Questions about blood thinners matter especially: NCCIH names warfarin among narrow-range medicines where interactions are of special concern. [8] See Supplements and blood thinners.

Dental and minor procedures

Do not assume a small procedure does not count. A dental-journal case report described severe bleeding after implant surgery in a patient who had taken dietary supplements for only one month, and noted that nondisclosure to the dental practitioner is a particular problem. [9]

Keep reading

Supplements before surgery · Which supplements surgical teams ask about · Talking with a health professional · Anesthesia and herbal supplements