How to Read a Prescription Label

A prescription medicine bottle has a lot of small print. Each part of the label tells you one thing: whose medicine it is, what it is called, who ordered it, which pharmacy filled it, and when.

This page is a tour of those parts only. It does not explain what any directions line means for you, and it does not say how much medicine anyone should take. Only your prescriber and your pharmacist can explain your own label to you.

Labels do not all look the same. The words and the order can change from pharmacy to pharmacy. The parts below are the parts you will find on most prescription labels.

1. Patient name

This is the name of the person the medicine was filled for. Check this name first. MedlinePlus says to check the label when you receive a prescription and to look for your name on it. If the name is not yours, or anything on the label looks unfamiliar, contact the pharmacy or your provider.

2. Medicine name — brand and generic

This is the name of the medicine in the container. A medicine can have two names: a brand name and a generic name. The FDA says to know both the brand and generic names of your medicines.

The FDA explains that an FDA-approved generic medicine has the same active ingredient as the brand-name medicine, and is required to be the same as the brand-name medicine in strength and in the way it is taken. A generic version may look different — for example, a different shape or color — from what you had before. MedlinePlus says that if your medicine looks different, check with the pharmacy or your provider to make sure it is the same medicine before you take it.

3. Strength

Strength is the measurement printed with the medicine name. The FDA describes strength as part of what identifies a medicine, and describes the active ingredient information as stating the amount of the substance in each dosage unit.

This page does not explain what any strength means for you. If the strength printed on your label is not what you expected, ask your pharmacist.

4. The directions line

The directions line is the line that repeats what your prescriber told the pharmacy.

This page does not explain that line, and it does not turn that line into instructions for anyone. The FDA says to make sure you understand the directions and to ask if you have questions or concerns. If any word on that line is unclear, ask your pharmacist to explain that part to you.

5. Quantity

Quantity tells you how much medicine the pharmacy put in this container — for example, how many items the container holds. The FDA uses the words “net quantity of contents” for how much of a product is in each package.

If the amount in the container does not match the quantity printed on the label, tell the pharmacy.

6. Refills remaining

This part tells you how many more fills of this prescription the label shows as remaining. MedlinePlus notes that when you contact the pharmacy for a refill, you give your name, the prescription number, and the name of the medicine.

If this part shows no refills remaining, the pharmacy can tell you what the next step is.

7. Fill date, and expiration / beyond-use date

The fill date is the date the pharmacy filled this container for you.

The expiration date is the date after which you should not use the product. Some pharmacy labels print this as a discard date or a use-by date instead, sometimes called a beyond-use date. The FDA says the expiration date can be printed on the label or stamped on the bottle or carton, sometimes after “EXP,” and that once the expiration date has passed there is no guarantee the medicine will be safe and effective. The FDA’s advice is plain: if your medicine has expired, do not use it. MedlinePlus says the same: never take expired medicine.

8. Prescription (Rx) number

This is the number the pharmacy gave to this prescription. Keep it handy. MedlinePlus says that when you contact the pharmacy for a refill, you give your name, the prescription number, and the name of the medicine — so this number helps the pharmacy find the right record fast.

9. Pharmacy name and phone, and prescriber name

The label names the pharmacy that filled the medicine, with its phone number, so you know who to call with questions about the label.

The label also names the prescriber — the health care professional who ordered the medicine for you. If a name on your label is not the name you expected, contact the pharmacy.

10. Warning stickers

Many labels carry extra warning notes. Some are printed on the label, and some are small stickers added by the pharmacy. The FDA describes warnings as covering things such as when not to use a product, possible interactions or side effects, when it is appropriate to talk to a doctor or pharmacist, and keeping the product out of children’s reach.

Read every warning sticker on your container. If a warning is unclear, ask your pharmacist what it means for you. This page does not explain any warning for any one person.

Reading the label every time helps prevent mistakes. MedlinePlus advises: do not just rely on your memory — read the medication label every time, and ask your health care provider or pharmacist about anything you do not know.

• If a name, word, or date on the label looks wrong or unfamiliar, contact the pharmacy or your provider.
• If you read the label and still have questions, the FDA says to ask your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care professional for advice.
• The FDA also advises keeping medicines in their original labeled containers whenever possible, and never combining different medicines in the same bottle — the label belongs with its own medicine.