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CHECKLIST – What to Bring with You to the Hospital

  • Your Medications, especially any specialty medications that the hospital may have difficulty providing.  At least you will have your necessary meds, just in case the hospital pharmacy cannot get them in a timely manner. (Keeping a 30-day supply in a “Go Bag” makes this easy – see our materials on Go Bags here.
  • Your Med Schedule – When you take your meds and the doses you take
  • A printout of your pump settings (or schedule/calculations for manual insulin administration such as Insulin-to-Carb ratio or Insulin Sensitivity Factor (ISF)
  • Your Insulin: just in case the hospital pharmacy cannot get the specific brand that you take regularly.
  • Any Meds that are not ROUTINE (the pharmacy may have difficulty getting certain meds.   This could include sleeping aids, special injectables, supplements that are NOT optional to your daily care.)
  • Your Insulin Pump, including
    • Batteries or Charging Cable
    • Cartridges or Pods
    • Infusion Sets, if used
    • IV Prep or whatever you use to adhere your device
  • Syringes, if you use injections to manage your T1D
  • If you use a CGM
    • Receiver
    • Charger or batteries
    • Extra Sensors
    • Blood Glucose Meter and test strips (if you NEED to test your BG, you don’t have to wait for a staff member to respond)
    • IV Prep or whatever you use to adhere the sensor
  • Glucose Tabs (or whatever you prefer to use for low BG)
  • Chargers/batteries
    • iPhone charger
    • iPad charger
    • batteries for PDM and meter
  • Toiletries:  Toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, hair products – things that will help you feel clean and human!
  • Glasses, reading glasses
  • Hearing aid case/charger, if you wear them
  • Notepad and pen/pencil to note questions for your doctor or concerns for the staff
  • Slippers and a robe
  • Shorts/pants and a loose top in case they let you get dressed
  • Pillow and pillow case, to feel more like home and comfortable
  • Several pairs of underwear

Source:  The Savvy Diabetic: A Survival Guide by Joanne Laufer Milo, 2013

Last updated 07/21/2025.

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