Care briefing · Follow-up and help
Know who to reach after the visit
Leave with a way to ask questions, a time to review the plan, and clear instructions for the exact product.
Write down who handles each question
Before the visit ends, ask how to get help and when the plan will be reviewed. Keep the answers where you can find them.
Storage belongs to the exact product
Storage requirements vary by peptide medicine, so refrigeration is not a universal requirement.
- Have the pharmacist walk you through the medicine label and its storage directions.
- Ask what to do if the delivery differs from what you expected.
- Keep the product details and the pharmacy’s directions together.
Get urgent help for a severe reaction
Breathing may be difficult during a severe allergic reaction, or swelling may affect the face, eyes, or tongue.
A symptom list cannot confirm what is happening to you.
Report a problem and keep the details
The agency responsible for medicines at the federal level uses the name Food and Drug Administration, abbreviated FDA.
MedWatch, FDA’s reporting service, takes reports from both patients and health professionals.
Reporting a problem is not proof that a medicine was responsible for it.
The California State Board of Pharmacy accepts complaints about pharmacies and pharmacists.
- Keep the label, packaging, and any messages about the problem.
- Write down what happened in your own words.
For a complaint about the person treating you, choose the board below. Each board’s complaint page is linked in Source notes.
- Medical doctor (MD): file the complaint with the Medical Board of California.
- Doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), another type of doctor: use the Osteopathic Medical Board of California complaint form.
- Nurse or nurse practitioner (a nurse with further training): use the Board of Registered Nursing complaint form.
- Physician assistant (a health professional working with a supervising doctor): use the Physician Assistant Board complaint form.