Contents
Legal Requirements for a prescription
- Hospital number or address
- Name of patient
- Date
- Name of drug
- Dose – unless only one dose available for that particular drug
- Signature
- Date of birth only legally required if under 12 years old
- NHS prescriptions required to be on appropriate forms
- If GP, need practice stamp
NB: You are not legally required to inform patient how or when to take the drugs but it is SAFE practice!
Safe Prescriptions
- Date of birth
- Directions – how and when to take the medication
- Any allergies
- Other drugs the patient is on – to avoid adverse interactions
- Ensure patient knows why they are taking the medication
For Controlled Drugs (CDs)
Need to indicate how many unit doses to supply in numbers and in words!
Controlled drugs include;
- Opiates (morphine, diamorphine, methadone)
- Major stimulants (amphetamines, quinalbarbitone)
- Ketamine and benzodiazepines
General Advice
Make sure everything is legible!
Always make sure each drug:
- Is in the right section – e.g. regular dose, as required & variable dose, IV & Enteral tube
- Is clearly written
- Is written in its generic name, not branded
- Has a dose – also check that the dose is reasonable – i.e. 10g of something is probably wrong – but you would have to check BNF or ask pharmacist to clarify.
- Has a signature for who authorised it
- If it says how many times to take it, make sure that the times for these are also written
- Check if drug has been discontinued – there is a little box under the general patient details that tells you the codes for why a drug has been discontinued.
- Has a route of administration
|
Route Name
|
Latin
|
Explanation
|
|
po
|
Per os
|
Orally
|
|
bid
|
–
|
2x day
|
|
im
|
–
|
Intramuscular injection
|
|
sc
|
–
|
Subcutaneous injection
|
|
iv
|
–
|
Intravenously
|
|
pr
|
Par rectum
|
Up the bottom!
|
|
hs
|
Hora somni
|
At bedtime
|
|
ac
|
Ante cibum
|
Before meals
|
|
pc
|
Post cibum
|
After meals
|
|
q
|
quaque
|
Every… e.g. q 8 means every 8 hours
|
|
qd
|
Quaque die
|
Every day
|
|
Tid
|
–
|
3x day
|
|
Qid
|
–
|
4x day
|
|
Qds
|
–
|
4x day
|
|
–
|
Modified release
|
|
|
On
|
–
|
At night
|
|
Om
|
–
|
In the morning
|
|
IP
|
–
|
Intraperitoneal
|
|
IC
|
–
|
In the abodominal cavity – pretty much the same as IP!
|
|
Qod
|
–
|
Every other day
|
|
Prn
|
Pro re nata
|
As required
|
|
Npo / nbm
|
–
|
Nothing by mouth
|
|
Od*
|
Occulus dexter/Once Daily
|
Right eye
|
|
Os
|
Occulus sinister
|
Left eye
|
*NOTE – this generally means once a day, not right eye!
Also state that you should check in the BNF or ask a pharmacist if:
- The doses are right
- There are any drug interactions