Reading a prescription – the safety checks
How to check the medicine, strength, instructions, duration and repeat details on a prescription before leaving a South African pharmacy.
A prescription should answer five questions
Before leaving the pharmacy, you should know which medicine you received, how much active ingredient it contains, how to take it, how long to use it and what to do if something goes wrong. If any part is unreadable or differs from what the prescriber explained, pause and ask for a correction.
Check the label against the prescription
- Name of the active ingredient and the formulation.
- Strength and the amount to use at one time.
- Times or intervals, with-food instructions and duration.
- Repeat or collection instructions, if authorised.
- Warnings, storage instructions and the prescriber's contact pathway.
The pharmacy label is the practical instruction for the dispensed product. Ask what changed if the label and your memory of the consultation do not match.
Ask before you go home
- Ask the pharmacist to explain any abbreviation or unclear word.
- Check the measuring device for liquids and the technique for inhalers or devices.
- Ask what to do about a missed dose, side effect or interaction.
- Add the medicine to one current list and take it to future visits.
A prescription error needs a pause, not a guess
Common questions
- What should I check on a prescription?
- Check the active ingredient, formulation, strength, amount, timing, duration, repeats and warnings. Ask the pharmacist to explain anything you cannot read or understand.
- Can the pharmacist explain a prescription?
- Yes. Explaining the dispensed medicine, how to use it and what safety warnings apply is part of a safe pharmacy handover.
Sources
- Medicines Online Directory and approved patient information leafletsSouth African Health Products Regulatory Authority
- Primary Healthcare Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines ListNational Department of Health, South Africa
Last reviewed 26 August 2026.