Reader mail
Questions to take into a visit
You do not have to know the right medical words. Start with your concern, then ask the clinician to explain the decision.
Start with what matters to you
Write your goal in a short sentence. It can be a concern, a symptom or something you hope to change. You do not need to arrive asking for a particular medicine.
What options fit this concern, including options without this medicine?
Pin down the recommendation
- What is the medicine’s full name and form?
- What do you expect it to help with in my case?
- What evidence supports that use?
- How would we decide whether it is helping?
Leave room for a different answer
A menu is not an assessment
According to the national group of medical boards, selecting a medicine on a menu cannot by itself justify a prescription. The clinician needs to assess the person’s care needs.
Its guidance also calls for a way for patients to put later questions to the clinician.
This is advice from the group, not a law by itself. The clinician must still follow the rules in the state where you receive care.
As of September 26, 2026.
Medical boards: guidance on prescribing decisionsAsk: “How will you assess my needs before deciding on a medicine, and how can I ask you questions afterward?”
Ask who does each part
- Who makes the prescribing decision?
- What is the name of the pharmacy making or supplying this medicine?
- Who answers questions about the label?
- How will follow-up be arranged?
The pharmacy’s name
According to the FDA, the maker of a custom medicine may be unknown to the person receiving it through online care.
As of September 17, 2026.
FDA: who made the medicineBring the money questions too
Take the quote alongside the care plan. Ask what happens to fees if the clinician recommends a different option or no medicine.
Make a cost-question list