After your visit
Your Antibiotic Prescription: A Home Checklist
When an antibiotic is prescribed, the details matter: which infection is being treated, how to take the medicine, and when to contact the team. Antibiotics treat certain bacterial infections; they do not treat colds or other viral illnesses.
What to do next
- Read the pharmacy label and follow the prescribed schedule and duration. Ask the pharmacist about food, other medicines, and missed doses for this specific antibiotic.
- Tell the prescriber about allergies and the reaction you had. Share your updated medication list.
- Do not share antibiotics, use someone else’s prescription, or save leftovers to treat a future illness.
- Ask when improvement is expected and what follow-up is needed if you are not improving.
When to contact your care team
Contact a clinician about side effects, especially severe or persistent diarrhea. Trouble breathing, fainting, or swelling of the mouth or throat can be an emergency: call 911. Do not assume every new symptom is a normal part of treatment.
Put it into practice
If the pharmacy cannot supply the prescription, tell your care team rather than substituting an old antibiotic. If a culture later changes the plan, confirm which medicine replaces which and what to do with the previous supply.
Notes for your next visit
Write these in your own notes or on a printed copy. Bring them to your follow-up.
- Medicine, dose schedule, and planned last day:
- The pharmacist’s food and interaction instructions:
- When I should call if I am not improving:
Sources and further reading
General education for adults. Follow your clinician’s individual plan and the current instructions for your prescribed product. If instructions conflict, ask your clinician or pharmacist to clarify. For a medical emergency, call 911.