1. PRINCIPLES OF PRESCRIPTION ORDER WRITING

2. PRESCRIPTION ORDER
Is an important therapeutic transaction between dentist/physician and the patient.
It brings into focus the diagnostic acumen and therapeutic proficiency of the dentist/physician with instructions for palliation or restorations of the patient’s health.

3. PRESCRIPTION ORDER WRITING
Proficiency at writing a prescription order accurately and speedily requires practice.
The prescription order should be written legibly.
It is convenient and the accepted form to have one’s name, address, telephone number, office hours and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registry number printed on the prescription order blank (controlled substance in schedule II)

4. CHOICE OF DRUG NAME:
- Most of drugs can be prescribed by their official names, by their nonproprietary names or by the manufacturers proprietary name is often referred to as the generic name

5. CHOICE OF A SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURE:
Prescription orders should always be written in the metric system.
It is necessary only to designate the amount of drug by numbers and to indicate the metric of weight or volume desired

6. THE METRIC AND APOTHECARIES EQUIVALENTS
1 milligram
1/65 grain
1 gram
15.43 grains
1 kilogram
2.20 pounds
1 milliliter
16.23 minims
1 ounce
31.1 grams
1 minims
0.062 ml
1 fluid ounce
29.57ml
1 pint
473.2ml
1 quart
946.4 ml

7. HOUSEHOLD EQUIVALENTS
1 teaspoonful
1 dram
5ml
1 tablespoonful
4 drams
15ml
1 wineglass
2 ounces
60ml
1 teacup
4 to 6 ounces ml
1 glassful
8 ounces
240ml
1 dessert spoonful
2 drams
10 ml

8. Construction of the Prescription Order:
Only one prescription should be written on an other blank.
MAJOR ELEMENTS:
Date
Name, address, and Age of the patient
The symbol Rx – is an abbrevation for recipe, the Latin for “take-out.”
Drug, strength, and inert additives
Direction to the pharmacist
Directions to the patient
Signature

9. PARTS OF PRESCRIPTION:
SUPERSCRIPTION – Patient’s name, address, and age; and the symbol Rx
INSCRIPTION – Name of drug, dosage form, and amount
SUBSCRIPTION – Direction to the pharmacist
TRANSCRIPTION or SIGNATURE – Directions to the patient

10. 1. Heading – name, address, and phone number of the prescriber - Name, address, age and phone number of the patient - Date 2. Body - the symbol Rx - Name and dosage unit or concentration(liquids) of the drugs - Amount to be dispensed - Directions to the patient 3. Closing - Presciber’s signature - Space for DEA number - refill instructions

11. Joe A. Doe, D.D.S Main Street Phone City, State ________________________________________________________ Patient name_____________ Date:__________ Address:_________________ Age:___________ Rx Mefenamic acid ( Dolfenal ) 500mg/ tab # 9 Sig: Take 1 tab 3x a day as needed for pain. Take in full stomach. Dentist:______________ License Number:__________ PTR:_____________ s2 Number________________

12. GUIDELINES ON PRESCRIBING MEDICINES BASED ON PRIOR LAWS
Only validly-registered medical, dental and veterinary practitioners, whether in private or employed in a private institution/corporation or in the government, are authorized to prescribe drugs.
All prescriptions must contain the name of the prescriber, office address, PRC number, Professional tax receipt number, patient’s/clients name, age and sex and date of prescription

13. HINTS FOR PRESCRIPTION WRITNG:
Write legibly in ink
Use the metric system
Avoid abbreviations
Keep a copy of each prescription or transcribe the information to the patient’s record
Include complete information for the patient.
a. never use “take as directed” unless a written instruction sheet is provided.
b. include the intended purpose, for example – “for relief of pain”
c. Use precautions to remind the patient of a drug’s side effects, for example, “ caution: Sedation or caution: may cause drowsiness
d. add reminder phrases to increase the patient’s compliance
Example: To complete for 7 days.

14. VIOLATIVE ERRONEOUS AND IMPOSSIBLE PRESCRIPTIONS:
VIOLATIVE PRESCRIPTION: - Where generic name is not written - Where the generic name is not eligible and a brand name which is legible is written - Where the brand name is indicated and instructions added (such as no substitution) which tend to prevent proper dispensing.

15. ERRONEOUS PRESCRIPTION:
Where the brand name precedes the generic name
Where the generic name is the one in parenthesis
Where more than one drug product is prescribed on one prescription form

16. SCHEDULES OF FEDERALLY CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
Abuse potential
Examples
Handling I
Highest
Heroin, LSD, marijuana, hallucinogens
Experimental or research use only II
High
Morphine, meperidine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, amphetamine, ssecobarbital,amobarbital
Prescriber’s signature required; no refills
III
Moderate
Codeine mixtures (Tylenol)
Prescriptions may be telephoned; no more than 5 refills in less than 6 months IV
Less
Benzodiazepines (Diazepam) V
least
Some codeine-containing cough syrups
Can be bought over the counter in some states

17. Common abbreviations in Prescription:
LATIN DERIVIATION
ENGLISH MEANING
a.c.
Ante cibum
Before meals ad
To; up to
ad lib
ad libitum
As much as desired; without limit
b.i.d.
bis in die
Twice a day
caps
capsula
Capsules
gtt
gutta
A Drop
o.d
Omni die
Daily, once a day
h.s
Hora somni
At bed time, hour of sleep
p.c.
Post cibum
After meals
p.r.n
Pro re nata
When required, as required
q.h
Quaque hora
Every hour
q.d
Quaque die
Every day, daily
q.i.d/ t.i.d
Quator in die/ ter in die
Four times a day/ 3 times a day
stat
statim
At once, immediately