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Herbal directions are not routine small print. Your granules come with instructions for your product alone, so walk through them with Christine and keep them with the original label.

Small words, meaningful steps

Herbal directions can look like routine small print to a busy reader. In practice, they describe how your particular product should be measured, prepared and stored, and skipping a step because the general idea seems familiar can change what you actually take.

Granules come with their own instructions

Your Lane Cove clinic product arrives as granules in a labelled container. No general article can set out how to measure and prepare each formula; those belong to your product and your prescription. Cooking terms from older herbal texts, such as add later or wrap separately, do not replace the instructions supplied with your granules.

Walking through your product together

Ask Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, to go through the written instructions with you, especially for a new product. Useful points to clarify include:

• how much to measure and with what;
• what time of day suits the plan;
• how to store the container and read its use-by date;
• how to recognise each label if you have more than one product.

Keep the instructions with the original label, and resolve anything ambiguous before you begin. Directions from an earlier prescription should not be swapped in just because they feel easier to recall.

Reducing the mental load

For people juggling work, children or caring roles, one more routine can feel heavy. Say so during your visit. Christine can work with you on a rhythm that fits your week, such as a regular time or a phone reminder, and feeling organised often eases stress around the whole process.

Keeping everything together

Store the product name, written steps and review date with the container. Tell Christine, and let your pharmacist know, about any change in your other medicines. Should anything unexpected happen, check in before altering the amount, even if the herbs seem unlikely to be the cause.

Learning the language of your label

Once the wording makes sense, many people find the process far less daunting. If a term on your label is unfamiliar, circle it and bring it to your next appointment; understanding your own product is part of taking an active role in your care.