Principles of Prescription Writing

Current Prescription Formatting

• Heading
• Body
• Closing

Current Prescription Formatting

• Body
• The Rx symbol
• Name
• dose size or concentration (liquids) of the drug
• Amount to be dispensed
• Directions to the patient

• 4

Contents of the Prescription

• Selecting the drug
• Medication Allergies
• Availability
• Cost

Contents of the Prescription

• Name of the drug
• Multiple drugs per prescription can add to confusion
• KEEP IT SIMPLE

Contents of the Prescription

• Name of the drug - CAUTION:
• Look Alike/Sound Alike drug names
• Massive number of new drug releases
• Massive number of reformulations
• Drug marketing strategy
• Build on established names
• New combination drugs – Use converged names

Contents of the Prescription

• Name of the drug
• AVOID THE USE OF:
• Abbreviations
• Many drugs identified with abbreviations
• EX: HCT for hydrochlorothiazide, MSO4 for morphine sulfate
• Attempts to standardize abbreviations have been unsuccessful

Abbreviation	Potential Problem	Preferred Term
U (unit)	Mistaken as zero, four	Write “unit”
IU (international unit)	Mistaken as IV or 10	Write “international unit”
Q.D., Q.O.D.	Mistaken for each other. Period after Q and O after Q can be mistaken for “I”	Write “daily” and “every other day”
MS, MSO4, MgSO4	Confused for one another	Write “morphine sulfate” or “magnesium sulfate”

• List of dangerous abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols

• Tablets - tab
• Capsule – cap
• Syrup – syr
• Suspension – susp
• Injection – Inj
• Metered dose inhaler – as such
• Lotion – as such