diff --git a/src/components/medications/wizard/steps/step8-note-field.tsx b/src/components/medications/wizard/steps/step8-note-field.tsx
index 4f80a0f23..45bd52929 100644
--- a/src/components/medications/wizard/steps/step8-note-field.tsx
+++ b/src/components/medications/wizard/steps/step8-note-field.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import { Label } from "@/components/ui/label";
 import { Textarea } from "@/components/ui/textarea";
 import { useTranslations } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
-import { MEDICATION_NOTE_MAX_CHARS } from "@/lib/validations/medication/base";
+import { MEDICATION_NOTE_MAX_CHARS } from "@/lib/medications/note-limits";
 
 import type { StepProps } from "./step1-name";
 
diff --git a/src/lib/medications/note-limits.ts b/src/lib/medications/note-limits.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..89219cde7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/medications/note-limits.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+/**
+ * #1371 — the longest note a medication carries. Room for a full set of
+ * directions ("on an empty stomach, 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast, not
+ * within four hours of calcium or iron") with space to spare. Its own module,
+ * free of zod, so the editor can cap its input without pulling the request
+ * schemas into the page bundle.
+ */
+export const MEDICATION_NOTE_MAX_CHARS = 500;
diff --git a/src/lib/validations/medication/base.ts b/src/lib/validations/medication/base.ts
index 656ab51d8..76ccf59b1 100644
--- a/src/lib/validations/medication/base.ts
+++ b/src/lib/validations/medication/base.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { INJECTION_SITE_KEYS } from "@/lib/medications/injection-sites";
 import { validateEntryInstant } from "@/lib/validations/entry-instant";
 import { hhmmToMinutes } from "@/lib/medications/scheduling/hhmm";
 import { isoDateTime } from "@/lib/validations/datetime";
+import { MEDICATION_NOTE_MAX_CHARS } from "@/lib/medications/note-limits";
 
 /**
  * v1.8.5 — the eight injection-site enum values, mirrored from the
@@ -63,13 +64,7 @@ export const rxNormCodeField = z
   .describe(
     "Optional RxNorm RxCUI (numeric, US identifier, e.g. `2601723`). Secondary coding emitted under `http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm` alongside any ATC code, never instead of the free-text name. NULL clears it; absent leaves it untouched.",
   );
-/**
- * #1371 — the longest note a medication carries. Room for a full set of
- * directions ("on an empty stomach, 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast, not
- * within four hours of calcium or iron") with space to spare; the editor caps
- * its input at the same length.
- */
-export const MEDICATION_NOTE_MAX_CHARS = 500;
+export { MEDICATION_NOTE_MAX_CHARS };
 /**
  * #1371 — the person's own note on a medication. Trimmed; an empty string or
  * NULL clears it, absent leaves it untouched. Sealed at rest by the writer.