This will include the medicine she is prescribing, the dosage, how many pills to take per dose, and how each dose should be taken. There will also be information for the pharmacist about how much of the medicine to give you when your fill it the first time and how many times you can refill it. Your doctor will also sign and date the bottom to verify that it was prescribed by a professional. If the prescription is for a controlled substance – one that the government has decided has the potential for “abuse or dependence,” such as morphine or methadone – certain additional requirements must be included. The form must stipulate the number of refills (if any) and must be written in ink or typewritten. It must be manually signed by the prescribing physician. The prescription form will vary depending on what your doctor uses. For example, there may be boxes that she fills in for number of refills or it may be generated by a computer. Regardless of how it is written, the same basic information must always be written on the prescription form. [1] X Research source Many practitioners will now send prescriptions electronically to the pharmacy of your choice. This is considered easier and more convenient by many practitioners, and also may reduce the chance of an error. [2] X Research source
If your doctor wants you to take a particular brand of medicine, she can write a note to your pharmacist that indicates this need. It will say something along the lines of “no substitution” or “brand name medically necessary. " There might also be a box on the prescription somewhere that indicates if your doctor prefers the generic or brand name version of the medication.
If you are taking a liquid medicine or medicine by syringe, the dosage information will be in milliliters. The abbreviation for this is ml. [5] X Research source
For the number of doses to take at one time, the doctor might write an i for the number of doses you need to take at a time. For example, if you are supposed to take 3 pills per dose, your doctor might write iii on your prescription. She may also write sig, which means to take it as it is labeled to be taken. There are other doctors, however, who will just write what you are supposed to have, such as “1 tab,” which indicates how much you should take. [6] X Research source After the amount per day, the doctor will write how to administer your medication. Each method has an abbreviation that is Latin based. Po means to take it orally, pr means per rectum or suppository, sl means sublingual or under the tongue, IV means injected into the vein, IM means injected into the muscle, and SQ means subcutaneous or under the skin.
The description of how often you should take your medicine is abbreviated using Latin phrases just like the method. Qd means every day, od means once daily, bid means twice a day, tid means three times a day, and qid means four times a day. The abbreviation qam means every morning, qpm means every night, q2h means every 2 hours, qod means every other day, and hs means at bedtime. Any special instructions are also abbreviated based on Latin phrases. Pc means after meals or not on an empty stomach, ac means before meals, qhs means each night, and prn means as needed. [7] X Research source Some doctors will write how often it should be taken instead, such as writing “daily” next to the dosage information. For controlled substances such as pain killers, she may write out the reason for taking the medication, such as the phrase “pain” if you need certain medications after surgery or for a chronic condition. [8] X Research source
You might also want to ask what taking the medicine will accomplish, if there is a less expensive alternative, or if there are any interactions with other prescribed or over the counter medications, dietary supplements, foods, or herbal supplements. [9] X Trustworthy Source US Food and Drug Administration U. S. government agency responsible for promoting public health Go to source
Make sure you write down the answers that give you so you will be able to compare this with what you get from the pharmacy. This way you make sure you are always taking the right medication in the right doses. [10] X Trustworthy Source US Food and Drug Administration U. S. government agency responsible for promoting public health Go to source
You can help prevent dangerous medication errors by double checking and asking the pharmacist to verify the prescription with your physician. [11] X Trustworthy Source US Food and Drug Administration U. S. government agency responsible for promoting public health Go to source If you have any questions about the prescription or the medication, ask your pharmacist.
If you experience side effects or interaction effects, you should call your health care provider immediately to report them and ask for a confirmation of your intended prescription, as well as further instructions for taking the medication.
