Prescription and Prescription Handling
Introduction:
A prescription is a legal and professional document through which a registered medical practitioner communicates instructions to a pharmacist for dispensing medicines to a patient. Proper prescription handling is a core responsibility of a pharmacist and is essential for ensuring patient safety, rational drug use, and legal compliance.
In community and hospital pharmacy practice, correct handling of prescriptions helps prevent medication errors, drug misuse, and adverse drug reactions.
Definition of Prescription:
A prescription is a written, electronic, or verbal order issued by a registered medical practitioner to a pharmacist for the preparation and dispensing of medicines to a specific patient, along with directions for their proper use.
Objectives of a Prescription:
- To provide correct medication to the patient
- To ensure safe and effective drug therapy
- To give clear instructions for drug use
- To serve as a legal record of treatment
Parts of a Prescription:
1. Date:
Indicates the date on which the prescription is written. It helps determine the validity of the prescription.
2. Patient Information:
Includes the patient’s name, age, gender, and sometimes address. Age is especially important for pediatric and geriatric dosing.
3. Superscription:
Traditionally represented by the symbol “Rx”, which means “take thou” or “recipe”.
4. Inscription:
Contains the name of the drug, dosage form, strength, and quantity prescribed.
5. Subscription:
Provides instructions to the pharmacist regarding dispensing, compounding, or quantity to be supplied.
6. Signatura (Sign):
Contains directions for the patient, such as dose, frequency, route of administration, and duration of therapy.
7. Prescriber’s Details:
Includes the prescriber’s name, qualification, registration number, address, and signature.
Types of Prescriptions:
- Written prescription
- Electronic prescription
- Verbal prescription (used in emergencies)
- Repeat prescription
- Controlled drug prescription
Prescription Handling by the Pharmacist:
1. Receiving the Prescription
The pharmacist should receive the prescription politely and check its completeness and legibility.
2. Checking the Prescription
Before dispensing, the pharmacist must check:
- Legality and authenticity of the prescription
- Correct drug, dose, and dosage form
- Appropriateness for patient’s age and condition
- Potential drug interactions or duplication
3. Interpretation of the Prescription
The pharmacist should correctly interpret abbreviations, symbols, and instructions written by the prescriber.
4. Dispensing the Medicines
Medicines should be accurately selected, measured, counted, and dispensed as per the prescription.
5. Labeling
Each dispensed medicine should be properly labeled with patient details, drug name, directions for use, storage instructions, and pharmacy details.
6. Patient Counseling
The pharmacist should explain how to take the medicines, possible side effects, precautions, and storage conditions in simple language.
7. Record Keeping
Prescriptions, especially for controlled drugs, should be properly recorded and preserved as per legal requirements.
Common Prescription Errors:
- Illegible handwriting
- Wrong drug or dose
- Incorrect frequency or duration
- Use of unsafe abbreviations
- Missing patient or prescriber details
Role of Pharmacist in Preventing Prescription Errors:
- Careful review of every prescription
- Clarifying doubts with the prescriber
- Educating patients properly
- Maintaining professional and ethical standards
Summary:
Prescription and prescription handling are critical aspects of pharmacy practice. Proper handling ensures patient safety, effective therapy, and legal compliance. A pharmacist plays a key role in identifying errors, providing correct medicines, and educating patients for better health outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a prescription?
A prescription is a legal order from a registered medical practitioner to a pharmacist for dispensing medicines to a patient.
2. Why is prescription handling important?
Proper handling helps prevent medication errors, ensures patient safety, and maintains legal compliance.
3. Can a pharmacist refuse to dispense a prescription?
Yes, if the prescription is incomplete, unclear, illegal, or potentially harmful, the pharmacist can refuse and seek clarification.
4. What is the role of labeling in dispensing?
Labeling provides clear instructions to the patient for correct use of medicines and helps avoid misuse.
5. What records should a pharmacist maintain?
Pharmacists must maintain prescription records, especially for controlled drugs, as required by law.
