At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: Define prescription. Explain the different parts of prescription. Interpret the information on the prescription. Process the prescription order / Handle the prescription. Define the different types of prescription. Define Electronic prescribing and how it works. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Electronic

prescribing.

Prescription is an order from a physician, dentist or any other registered medical practitioner to a pharmacist for the supply of medicine ,dressing or appliance for the patient.

The concept of prescriptions dates back to the beginning of history. So long as there were medications and a writing system to capture directions for preparation and usage, there were prescriptions.

Modern prescriptions are actually "extemporaneous prescriptions" from the Latin (ex tempore) for "at/from time"."Extemporaneous" means the prescription is written on the spot for a specific patient with a specific ailment. This is distinguished from a non-extemporaneous prescription which is a generic recipe for a general ailment.

Prescribers office information Patient information Date Rx symbol or Superscription Medication prescribed or Inscription Dispensing directions to the pharmacist or

Subscription Direction for patient or Signatura Refill ,special labeling ,and /or other instructions Signature and registration number of prescriber

The patient’s name , address and age if under 12 years.

The names and quantities of the medicaments to be supplied.

Instructions for the patient. The prescriber’s profession ,address and signature. The date on which the prescription was written or

signed. Proper name labeling requirement(NP)

Receiving Reading and checking Numbering and dating Collecting the materials Dispense the medicine Counsel the patient Endorse the prescription Collect any fee Dispose of the prescription Make the appropriate records and filing Pricing

NHS prescription Private prescription Prescription for hospital inpatients Prescription for hospital outpatients Prescription for patients discharged from the

hospital.

NHS form -------------Retain until the end of month Private form for prescription only medicine

----------------------- Retain to 2 years Hospital inpatient form ------------- Return to ward Hospital outpatient form --------------- Retain in

pharmacy (usually 2 years)

Medication errors affect more then 1.5 million Americans each year in hospitals alone, according to the Institute of Medicine.

Error can be made in the following areas: Similar spellings / pronunciations / names Inderal and Adderrall Zyrtec and Zantac Celebrex and Cerebyx Others include Aciphex (for stomach reflux) and Aricept (for

memory), Allegra (for allergies) and Viagra (for erectile dysfunction) or Fosomax (for bone) and Flomax (for veins and arteries).

Incorrect dosage Drug interactions Human error Doctors, notorious for bad handwriting, may choose the right

drug, but the pharmacist may read it incorrectly. Sometimes the prescription gets transferred by phone from

the doctor's office to the pharmacy, but the people making or receiving the phone calls make mistakes.

Electronic prescribing or e-prescribing is the electronic transmission of prescription

information from the prescriber's computer to a pharmacy computer.

The doctor logs on to the system and authenticates their identity.(i.e. log on their passwords)

The doctor looks up the patient in the system. A drug is chosen, with parameters including strength,

quantity, directions, and number of refills . The patient's active medication list and known allergies are

reviewed for potential adverse drug reactions

The software may suggest alternative drugs that are either more effective or less costly.

Select a pharmacy that will process the order, and place the order.

The connection may be direct peer-to-peer, but usually it is indirectly routed over a commercial network of pharmacies such as Sure Scripts or eRx Network.

Orders take the form of standardized electronic messages that both the prescriber's system and the pharmacist's system must implement.

The order appears in the pharmacists computer system, where it may be filled.

The patient shows up at the pharmacy to pick up and pay for their medications.

It improves beneficiary health outcomes It improves quality and efficiency It helps in reducing costs by actively promoting

appropriate drug usage It speeds up the process of renewing medications It reduces the incidence of drug interaction It saves the time of pharmacist

Each prescription can be checked electronically Reducing / eliminating the error. Information on prescription can be linked with the

patient’s medical records. Refill request can be expedited. Facilitation of data transfer between physician and

pharmacist.

Accidental data entry errors such as selecting the wrong patient or clicking on the wrong choice in a menu of dosages.

Inadvertently divulging protected health information on the internet through inadequate security practices

Inability to use electronic prescribing when the power is out

THANX FOR ATTENTION

REFERENCES: Pharmaceutical practice DM Collett Pg # 61 -72 The science and practice of pharmacy Remington Pg #1823-1839