What Should I Engrave On My Medical ID Bracelet or Necklace?

Key Points

Here are some important items to note about the engravings above:

• Your name comes first, emergency contacts last
• Whenever possible, related items are grouped. For instance:
  • On Melissa’s medical ID tag, we see that she has Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Disease, and two medication allergies. The information is organized in a way that makes it easy to understand.
• Spell out your medications and differentiate them from your allergies:
  • For example, on Javier’s med ID, we see, “ON PRADAXA” and on KC’s we see, “ON BLOOD THINNERS”. There are two key points here:
  • First, if Javier only engraved, “Pradaxa,” he would leave room for confusion as to whether he is taking this medication or allergic to it. Using “ON” or “ALGY” in combination with medication names is a simple, helpful way to clarify this.
  • Second, some medication families have varying treatment considerations. For instance, there are two main groups of blood thinners, each of which has different treatment protocols. So it is essential that first responders know the specific kind of blood thinner involved. In Javier’s example, he knows he’s staying on Pradaxa, so he engraved it. But KC’s physician is still making medication shifts, so KC engraved, “ON BLOOD THINNERS” along with “SEE WALLET CARD.” This lets first responders know where to look for the current medication information and provides for necessary flexibility during medication trials or during a diagnostic phase. We offer free medical alert wallet cards here.
• Use abbreviations when they make sense. For instance:
  • On Javier’s medical alert tag, we see. “T2D” which is a common, highly recognizable medical abbreviation for Type 2 Diabetes. And the medication Javier takes for his diabetes is listed on that same line, which again is a helpful grouping of information.
• Choose your engraving style:
  • Beyond determining what to engrave on medical ID necklaces and bracelets, you also have options about the type or style of engraving. We offer two different methods:
  • Most customers prefer our Premium Laser Engraving. This is the bolder engraving above. The contrast provides for ease of reading, which is ideal when moments count.
  • Some customers choose our Traditional or Standard Engraving. This tone-on-tone option resembles the type of engraving you might see on a trophy. The lack of contrast means you can expect to tilt the tag in the light to read it, which makes this type of engraving more discreet.

Not Enough Space? Abbreviate!

Running out of room? Not to worry. We have loads of medical ID bracelet engraving ideas. The essentials to include on a bracelet (ID bracelet) alone can take up a lot of space, so using abbreviations can help.

Emergency medical professionals use common abbreviations for many medical terms and medications. This helps you fit more details on your medical ID tag. Check out the examples of common medical abbreviations below or view our helpful guide listing most common medical abbreviations.

• Allergy - ALGY or ALGYS
• Do Not Resuscitate - DNR
• Epinephrine Pen - Epipen or EPI
• High Blood Pressure - HBP
• Hypertension - HTN
• In Case of Emergency - ICE
• No Known Allergies - NKA
• Penicillin - PCN
• Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes - T1D or T2D

Still short on space or have frequently changing information? Consider adding a pack of customizable wallet cards to your order and using one line to engrave, “SEE WALLET CARD.”