At Acibadem, How Medication Lists Are Checked Before Surgery

Before surgery, your medication list is reviewed so your care team can plan around prescriptions, vitamins, supplements, allergies and recent changes. At Acibadem, this process is designed to be clear and practical for international patients, so you know what to prepare and what questions to ask.

Why your medication list matters before surgery

Your medication list is not just a formality. It helps your team understand what you take every day, what you use occasionally, and what could affect anesthesia, bleeding, blood pressure, blood sugar, pain control or recovery after surgery. Even products that seem minor, such as herbal supplements, sleep aids or occasional pain tablets, can be important when your care plan is being prepared.

At Acibadem, the review is part of safe surgical planning. Because many international patients arrive with medicines from different countries, trade names and packaging may vary. A clear list helps your team identify active ingredients, avoid duplication and decide whether any medicines should be continued, paused or adjusted around the time of your procedure.

This process also helps prevent last-minute surprises. If your team knows early that you use blood thinners, insulin, steroid tablets, allergy medicines or regular heart medications, they can give you more specific instructions before admission. That can make your travel and surgery day smoother and less stressful.

What to include on your medication list

The most helpful list is complete, simple and current. Include all prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, inhalers, eye drops, creams, patches, injections, vitamins and herbal products. If you take something only when needed, include that too. You do not need medical wording; plain language is fine as long as the details are accurate.

For each item, try to note the brand or generic name, strength, how often you take it, why you take it and when you last took it. If you recently stopped a medicine or changed the dose, mention that clearly. This is especially useful if your treatment plan changed shortly before travel.

If you are unsure of spellings or exact strengths, photos can help. Many patients bring phone photos of labels, recent prescriptions or medicine boxes. If practical, you can also bring original packaging in your hand luggage so the team can verify the details during your pre-operative review.

• Prescription medicines from your home doctor
• Over-the-counter pain relievers, cold remedies or antacids
• Supplements such as fish oil, iron, magnesium or probiotics
• Herbal products and teas used for sleep, stress or digestion
• Any drug allergies or past reactions
• Recent medication changes within the last few weeks

How the review usually works at Acibadem

Your medication review may begin before you arrive in Turkey. During planning, the international patient team may ask for your current medicine list and relevant medical documents so the clinical team can flag anything that needs closer review. This early step is particularly helpful if you are traveling for a complex procedure or if you take several long-term medications.

Closer to surgery, the list is reviewed again during your pre-operative assessment. Depending on your case, this can involve your surgeon, anesthesiology team, nurses and, when needed, other specialists. The aim is to confirm exactly what you take now, whether the timing of any medicine needs to change, and whether extra tests or precautions are advisable.

Acibadem International supports many patients who speak different languages, so interpreter services and international patient coordinators can help if medicine names are unfamiliar or difficult to translate. That practical support matters because small misunderstandings about dose, timing or active ingredients can affect surgical planning.

You may be asked the same medication questions more than once. This is normal and is part of a safety check. Reconfirming your medicines at different points helps the team catch updates, avoid omissions and make sure everyone is working from the same information on the day of surgery.

Medicines that often need special attention

Some medicines are more likely to need a detailed plan before surgery. Blood thinners and anti-platelet medicines, diabetes medicines including insulin, steroids, medicines for blood pressure or heart rhythm, seizure medicines, immune-suppressing drugs and regular opioid pain medicines often need special review. That does not automatically mean they must be stopped, but it does mean your team will want clear timing instructions.

Supplements and herbal products are also important to mention. Many patients do not think of them as medicines, yet some may affect bleeding, sedation, blood pressure or how other drugs work. Sleep products, bodybuilding supplements, weight-loss products and energy boosters should all be disclosed, even if you use them only occasionally.

If you use inhalers, CPAP, insulin pens, injectables, patches or emergency medicines such as an adrenaline auto-injector, mention these early. If you have had a past reaction to anesthesia, antibiotics, pain medication or contrast dye, include that history too. The more complete the picture, the easier it is for the team to plan safely around your needs.

What you may be told before surgery

After reviewing your list, your team may tell you to continue some medicines as usual, stop some for a certain period, or take specific medicines at a different time. Instructions vary by person and procedure, so it is important not to copy advice from friends, online forums or previous surgeries. What was right in one situation may not be right for your current treatment.

You may also receive guidance about eating, drinking and medication timing on the day before or the morning of surgery. For example, your team may specify which medicines can be taken with a small sip of water and which should be held. If your surgery time changes, ask whether your medication timing should change as well.

At Acibadem, practical communication matters, especially for international patients balancing travel schedules and pre-op instructions. If anything is unclear, ask for the guidance in writing or request help from your coordinator or interpreter. Written instructions can make it easier to follow your plan correctly once you are back at your hotel or preparing for admission.

How you can make the process easier

The easiest way to help your team is to prepare one up-to-date medication list before you travel and keep it with you. Store a copy on your phone and, if possible, print one for your hospital folder. Include your allergy history, your regular pharmacy or prescribing doctor, and any recent hospital stays related to medication changes.

Try not to make unplanned medication changes on your own shortly before surgery unless a doctor has advised you to do so. If another clinician changes your treatment after you have already shared your list with Acibadem, update your international patient coordinator as soon as possible. This is especially important for antibiotics, blood thinners, diabetes treatments and steroids.

Pack enough of your routine medicines for travel, plus a small buffer in case of delays, and keep them in original packaging where possible. Place essential medicines in your hand luggage rather than checked baggage. If you use devices such as insulin pens, inhalers or CPAP equipment, keep those accessible and tell the team about them during your pre-surgery review.

Finally, ask questions early. If you are uncertain about a brand name, a supplement ingredient or a medicine schedule during fasting, your Acibadem International contact can help direct your question to the right team. Small practical questions are worth asking because they often prevent larger problems on surgery day.