Definition : – A prescription should be written by only registered medical practitioner or other licensed practitioners such as dentist, veterinarian or surgeon. Legal prescription contain detail information for preparation, dispensing to the pharmacist and also mention mode of administration for the patient.
The prescriptions are generally written in the English language but Latin words are frequently used in order to save time. Pharmacist very familiar with Latin term and easy to understand the prescription.
Pharmacist can be accept a prescription on telephone only in emergency condition and it needs to be follow as regular written prescription.
While Considering The Safety Of The Patient
- Prescription should be well legible.
- Prescriber use only official abbreviations of weights and measures.
- Full names of medicaments or brand should be used without any abbreviations.
- Prescription should be written in ink.
- Prescriber should not over write in prescription.
- As possible to write only generic names of the drugs.
More about drug and dosage form.
Parts Of Prescription :-
- Date.
- Name, age, sex and address of the patient.
- Superscription.
- Inscription.
- Subscription.
- Signatura.
- Renewal instructions.
- Signature, address and registration number of the prescriber.
1. Date
It is easy to patient as well as pharmacist to identify the date of prescribing. Date can help to find misuse of prescription by patient.
2. Name, Age, Sex And Address Of The Patient
Name, age, sex and address of the patient must be written in the prescription, it help for proper handling and to identify the prescription.
Children required less amount of drug than adults. Age and sex are very useful in the case of children, it help pharmacist to confirm and recheck the prescribed dose of medication. Name, age, sex and address give unique identity to prescription.
3. Superscription
It is represented by a symbol Rx which is written before writing the prescription. It is an abbreviation of the Latin word recipe, meaning ‘You take’ (Take thou). Rx use as short form of prescription and it is easy to understand by pharmacist as well as patient.
4. Inscription
Inscription is a main part of prescription and it contain name as well as quantities of ingredients. The names of ingredients are generally written in English language but common abbreviations are use in the prescription which is easily understand by pharmacist.
The brand name of each ingredient should be written separately along with its quantity. Complex prescriptions containing lots of ingredients and it can be divide as :-
- (a) Base : The active medicines which are use to produce the therapeutic effect.
- (b) Adjuvant : The purpose of medicament either to improve the palatability of the preparation or to enhance the action of medicament.
- (c) Vehicle : It is help to administer the medicament. It included in the prescription either to dissolve the solid ingredients or to increase the volume of the preparation.
- (d) Correction : It is use to modify the effect of the basis. It may be a flavoring, coloring or sweetening agent.
5. Subscription
Subscription is a direction to the pharmacist for preparing the prescription and number of doses to be dispensed. Now a day, the prescriptions are not compounding and dispensed.
6. Signatura
It consists all the important instruction given to patient regarding administration of the drug. It is usually written as ‘Sig’ on the prescription.
The instruction include : –
- (a) The quantity of medicine to be taken.
- (b) The frequency of administration or application of medicine.
- (c) The mode of administration of medicine.
7. Renewal Instructions
Renewal instruction is necessary to write for renewed medicine. It is very important particularly in the prescription containing the narcotic and other habit-forming drugs to prevent its misuse.
8. Signature, Address & Registration Number Of The Prescriber
Signature, address and registration number must to be involve in the prescription. This all are show unique identity of prescribe.