Brown Bag Medication Review Events: How to Prepare for a Safe Medication Checkup

3 January 2026 14 Comments Joe Lindley

Brown Bag Medication Inventory Tool

Gather all your medications before your next review. This tool helps you create a complete, organized list to bring to your healthcare provider.

Tip: Bring every bottle - even empty ones. They reveal important patterns about your usage.

64% of seniors had unnecessary medications stopped after a review. Your safety is worth the 30 minutes.

Medication Name

Dosage

Frequency

Reason for Use

Your Medication List

Important: Bring all bottles (including empty ones) to your appointment. Your provider needs to see the actual containers to identify duplicates and interactions.

No checklist generated yet

What Is a Brown Bag Medication Review?

A brown bag medication review is a simple, powerful way to make sure you’re taking the right medicines, in the right doses, and for the right reasons. It’s when you gather every pill, capsule, cream, inhaler, vitamin, supplement, and herbal remedy you take - all of it - and bring them in a brown paper bag to your doctor or pharmacist. They sit down with you, look at each item, and check for problems like duplicates, dangerous interactions, or medicines you no longer need.

This isn’t just a checklist. It’s a safety net. In Australia, and across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., this practice has become a key part of managing older adults’ health. Why? Because nearly half of seniors take five or more medications. And when you’re juggling that many, mistakes happen - fast.

Why This Review Matters More Than You Think

Medication errors are one of the leading causes of hospital visits among seniors. Studies show that up to 20% of serious drug reactions happen because someone was taking two medicines that shouldn’t be mixed, or they didn’t know they were doubling up. One patient in Sydney was admitted with dizziness and confusion. Turns out, he was taking three different sleep aids - each prescribed by a different doctor. None of them knew about the others.

That’s why a brown bag review works better than any form you fill out. When patients try to remember what they take, they forget. A 2016 study found that only 2 out of every 10 patients accurately listed their meds from memory. But when they brought the actual bottles? Accuracy jumped to over 92%. That’s not a small improvement - it’s life-changing.

What Exactly Should You Put in the Bag?

Don’t just grab your prescription bottles. Bring everything. Here’s the full list:

All prescription medicines - even those you haven’t taken in months
All over-the-counter drugs - painkillers, antacids, allergy pills, sleep aids
All vitamins and minerals - multivitamins, calcium, vitamin D, iron
All herbal supplements - echinacea, ginseng, fish oil, turmeric
All topical treatments - creams, patches, eye drops, inhalers
All empty or nearly empty bottles - yes, even those

Why include the empty ones? Because they tell a story. If a bottle of blood pressure pills is half-empty, maybe you’re not taking them. If you’ve got five bottles of the same painkiller, maybe you’re self-medicating. These details matter.

How to Prepare - Step by Step

Set aside 30 to 45 minutes. This isn’t a quick chat. You need time.
Gather every bottle, box, and packet you use daily or weekly. Don’t skip anything.
Write down the reason you take each one - even if you’re not sure. Example: "For my heart," or "My doctor said for joint pain."
Check expiration dates. Old meds can be dangerous or useless.
Bring your list and your bag to the appointment. Don’t rely on memory.

Pro tip: If gathering everything feels overwhelming, do it a few items at a time. Put one day for pills, another for supplements. Use your bathroom cabinet, kitchen drawer, and bedside table as your checklist.

A cluttered counter with medicine bottles, empty containers, and expired pills arranged in isometric view.

What Happens During the Review?

Your provider will go through each item. They’ll ask:

Why are you taking this?
How often? At what time?
Have you noticed any side effects?
Have you stopped any meds recently?

They’ll look for:

Duplicates - two medicines with the same active ingredient
Interactions - like mixing blood thinners with herbal supplements
Unnecessary drugs - pills you were prescribed years ago and never stopped
Wrong doses - too high, too low, or taken at the wrong time
Medicines you can’t afford or can’t swallow

They might suggest stopping one, switching another, or simplifying your routine. In one review in Melbourne, a 79-year-old woman had her daily pill count cut from 17 to 9 - without losing any health benefits.

Why This Works Better Than Apps or Lists

Many people think, "I have a phone app that tracks my meds." Or, "I wrote them all down." But here’s the truth: apps can’t see what’s in your cabinet. Written lists can be outdated, incomplete, or misremembered.

Electronic records often miss what patients take on their own - supplements, OTCs, leftover antibiotics. One study found that 41% of dangerous medication errors involved drugs not recorded anywhere in the system. Only the brown bag catches those.

Even the best digital tools can’t tell if you’re crushing pills you can’t swallow, or if you’re taking your insulin only when you feel bad. The physical review lets the provider see your reality - not just your record.

Common Problems and How to Solve Them

People often hesitate to bring their meds because they feel embarrassed. Maybe they’ve got 20 bottles because they were scared to stop anything. Maybe they’ve been hoarding old prescriptions "just in case." That’s normal. But it’s also risky.

Here’s how to get past it:

Remember: Your provider has seen this a hundred times. They’re not judging. They’re helping.
If you’re confused about what to bring, ask: "Should I bring my fish oil? My CBD drops? My leftover antibiotics?" The answer is always: Yes.
Bring a friend or family member. They can help remember details or ask questions you might forget.

And if you forget something? Don’t panic. Just bring it next time. The goal is progress, not perfection.

An elderly woman holding a reduced pill organizer, with discarded meds in a bin and a calendar marking Brown Bag Day.

What Happens After the Review?

You’ll walk out with a clear, updated list of what you should - and shouldn’t - be taking. Your doctor or pharmacist will send a copy to your GP, pharmacy, and any specialists. That means everyone’s on the same page.

Many patients report:

Less confusion about their meds
Fewer side effects like dizziness or stomach upset
Lower pill counts - sometimes by half
More confidence managing their health

In pilot programs in the U.K., 64% of seniors had at least one unnecessary medication stopped after a review. In the U.S., Kaiser Permanente saw a 22% drop in hospital visits among seniors who had regular reviews.

How to Make This a Regular Habit

This isn’t a one-time thing. Your meds change. Your body changes. Your doctors change. You need to do this at least once a year - or anytime you see a new doctor, start a new treatment, or go to the hospital.

Set a reminder on your phone: "Brown Bag Day - October 15." Put it on your calendar. Tell your family. Make it part of your annual health routine, like your flu shot or dental checkup.

Some clinics now give out free brown bags with a checklist printed on them. Ask your pharmacy if they offer them. If not, just use any paper bag. The bag isn’t magic - the process is.

What If You Can’t Get to the Appointment?

If mobility is an issue, call your GP or pharmacist. Many now offer home visits for medication reviews. Others will send a nurse or pharmacist to your home. Some community health centers even run monthly brown bag events - just drop in with your bag.

And if you’re worried about transportation, ask your local aged care service. Many provide free rides to medical appointments, including medication reviews.

Final Thought: This Is Your Safety Plan

Medicines save lives. But when they’re not managed well, they can hurt you. A brown bag review isn’t about being told what to do. It’s about taking control. It’s about asking: "Do I really need all this? Is it still working? Is it safe?"

This is your chance to speak up, ask questions, and make sure your meds are helping - not hurting. You’ve done the hard part: you’ve lived with these pills for years. Now it’s time to make sure they’re working for you, not against you.

14 Comments

Charlotte N
January 3, 2026 AT 22:42

I brought my brown bag last week and found three pills I hadn't taken in two years... one was for a migraine I got over in 2019. My pharmacist laughed and said she sees this every Tuesday. I felt dumb but also relieved. Thanks for the reminder to actually look at what's in there.

Also why do we still call it a brown bag? Mine was a Trader Joe's reusable tote. Does that count?
Allen Ye
January 5, 2026 AT 18:28

There’s something profoundly human about this practice. We live in an age of digital abstraction-apps, QR codes, electronic health records-but the solution to one of our most lethal systemic failures is literally a paper bag filled with physical objects we’ve accumulated over decades. It’s not about compliance or technology. It’s about presence. Holding the bottle. Reading the label. Remembering why you started. The bag is a ritual. A tangible anchor to the body’s truth. The machine can’t see the half-empty bottle. The algorithm doesn’t know you stopped taking it because you couldn’t swallow the pill. Only you can show that. And only when you bring it-unfiltered, unedited, unapologetic-does care become real.
Brendan F. Cochran
January 6, 2026 AT 00:48

I'm sick of this 'brown bag' nonsense. You people act like this is some revolutionary idea. We've been doing this in my family since the 70s. Grandpa used a shoebox. My mom uses a Ziploc. Who cares what you put it in? The real problem is doctors who don't listen. I brought my whole pharmacy last year and my PCP just nodded and said 'Sounds good' while scrolling on his phone. This isn't about bags. It's about respect.
mark etang
January 7, 2026 AT 22:20

This is an essential health practice that every senior citizen should be mandated to complete annually. The data is unequivocal. Medication mismanagement is a silent epidemic, and this simple, low-cost intervention reduces hospitalizations, improves quality of life, and saves the healthcare system billions. I urge all medical institutions to institutionalize this process as a standard of care-not an optional service. The cost of inaction is measured in lives.
Ashley Viñas
January 9, 2026 AT 06:47

Honestly? I'm shocked this even needs to be said. If you're taking more than five meds and you haven't done a brown bag review, you're basically playing Russian roulette with your kidneys. I'm not being dramatic. I had a friend die from a drug interaction between her fish oil and her blood thinner. She didn't even think fish oil counted as a 'med'.

Also, if you're still taking leftover antibiotics from 2018? Stop. Just stop.
jigisha Patel
January 9, 2026 AT 12:11

The data presented here is statistically significant but methodologically flawed. The 92% accuracy rate is based on self-reported bottle inspection, which introduces confirmation bias. Furthermore, the study sample was not stratified by socioeconomic status or literacy level. In India, where I work, over 68% of elderly patients cannot read prescription labels. A brown bag is meaningless if the patient cannot interpret what's inside. This is a Western-centric solution to a global problem that requires multilingual, visual, and community-based interventions.
Roshan Aryal
January 9, 2026 AT 17:16

Brown bag? That’s a capitalist illusion. You think the problem is that people forget their meds? No. The problem is that Big Pharma keeps prescribing new drugs to replace the old ones they made obsolete. Why do you think they don’t want you to do a brown bag review? Because then you’d see how many of your pills are just repackaged sugar pills with a patent. The real solution? Burn the bag. Stop trusting doctors. Trust your body.
Catherine HARDY
January 9, 2026 AT 17:17

I did the brown bag thing. Then I looked at the labels. All of them. The expiration dates. The manufacturer names. The lot numbers. And I noticed something... every single one of my blood pressure meds came from the same batch. Same lot. Same plant. And guess what? That plant got shut down last year for contamination. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I’ve been calling the FDA every day since. They won’t return my calls. But I know what I saw.
Clint Moser
January 11, 2026 AT 08:18

i did the brown bag thing and my dr said i was takin too many things. but i swear i only have 12 pills. then i counted again and got 15. then my wife said i was takin my neighbor's pills by mistake. turns out i had 3 of his blood thinners in my sock drawer. i thought they were mine. i’m so dumb. please dont tell anyone.
John Ross
January 13, 2026 AT 00:40

The clinical utility of the brown bag review is underpinned by pharmacovigilance principles and polypharmacy risk stratification. The physical artifact-i.e., the containerized pharmaceuticals-serves as a primary data source that mitigates recall bias and enhances medication reconciliation fidelity. The absence of this modality in standard EHR workflows constitutes a critical gap in geriatric care delivery. Implementation requires interdisciplinary coordination between clinical pharmacists, primary care providers, and pharmacy benefit managers to ensure actionable outcomes.
Jack Wernet
January 13, 2026 AT 04:16

This is one of the most thoughtful and practical health recommendations I’ve seen in years. Thank you for emphasizing that it’s not about perfection-it’s about progress. I’ve encouraged my parents to do this every fall, and it’s made a real difference. My dad stopped taking a statin he didn’t need, and his muscle pain disappeared. Simple. Human. Effective.
Enrique González
January 13, 2026 AT 11:06

I used to think this was overkill. Then my mom had a fall. Turned out she was mixing her sleep aid with her anxiety med. She didn’t even realize they were both sedatives. After the brown bag review, she cut her pills in half. No more dizziness. No more falls. I’m telling everyone. This isn’t just advice. It’s a lifeline.
Connor Hale
January 14, 2026 AT 10:46

I’ve been doing this for five years now. Every January. I don’t do it because I’m scared. I do it because I’m curious. What’s changed? What’s still working? What’s just collecting dust? It’s not about fixing things. It’s about understanding them. Sometimes I leave with more meds. Sometimes I leave with fewer. But I always leave with more clarity. That’s the real gift.
josh plum
January 15, 2026 AT 13:45

If you’re not doing this, you’re basically letting your doctor play Russian roulette with your life. I’ve seen people die from this. I’ve seen people get put in nursing homes because they were taking 17 pills they didn’t need. It’s not complicated. Bring the bag. Ask the questions. Don’t be polite. If they don’t take it seriously, get a new doctor. Your life isn’t a suggestion.