The Pharmaceutical Agent Order

Prescription

• An oral or written record of a physician’s order to pharmacist to dispense medication to patient.

• who can write a medication rx???--• this is called prescriptive authority, varies

by state.• most likely--MD DO DVM DDS PA NP• DPM OD also maybe animal services,ect

origin of Rx

• written out• fax• electronic--dr link to pharmacy• phone

Components of a Prescription – Written Form• prescriber’s name and title (MD, DDS, DMD, DO,

etc.)• prescriber’s office address• prescriber’s phone number• patient’s name and address• patient’s age • date on which prescription was written• Superscription, or the letters Rx – Latin for recipe

or “take thou”• Inscription, the actual body of the prescription

indicating the drug name, strength and dosage form

Components of a Prescription – Written Form• Signature, (sig)not to be confused with the

prescriber’s signed name; clearly written and understandable instructions

• Subscription, the quantity of the drug to be dispensed to the patient

• refill instructions• prescriber’s signature• prescriber’s DEA number

Physician’s Order

• Form to order medication for the hospitalized patient

• If written by nurse then dr must sign within • 2-3 days unless such is in medical staff

protocol.

Components of a Physician’s Order• Patient’s Name and hospital number• patient’s room or ward location• attending physician• patient’s date of birth• allergies or sensitivities to drugs, foods, and

other substances• Diagnosis• date of admission• patient’s condition

Components of a Physician’s Order• Services to be performed(i.e. tests, activities, diet, etc.)• medications ordered• strength of each medication ordered• dosage form specified to avoid any questions regarding

the form to be administered – most drugs come prepared in more than one dosage form; patient’s condition often determines route of administration

• directions for use or frequency of administration for each drug nurse’s or physician’s signature with date and time of entry on the physician’s order.

• These chart orders must be kept for 3 years for BOP.

Oral Prescriptions

• Phoned in – usually done by a prescriber known to pharmacists. Not applicable to schedule II drugs.

Components of an Oral Prescription

• Doctor’s name• Doctor’s phone number• Patient’s name• Patient’s address• Patient’s phone number

Components of an Oral Prescription

• DEA number• Name of drug• Quantity of drug• Directions• Refill instructions

Prescription Label

• An identification label placed on the outside of the bottle.

• Pt name, rx number xxxx, date filled, printed instructions, drug name, cpht initial, dpharm initial, dr name, exp date, refills,

• Aux label

Components of a Prescription Label

• a prescription serial number (referred to as the RX number) and the date the prescription was filled

• the patient’s full name• clearly typed (or printed) instructions for

taking the medication• the first word of the directions should infer

the route of administration

Components of a Prescription Label

• name of the drug (labeling), unless specifically requested by prescriber not to label

• pharmacist’s initials and initials of the tech preparing the drug for dispensing

• prescriber’s name• drug’s expiration date (usually can be obtained from

stock bottle, except in case of freshly reconstituted medication according to manufacturer’s recommendation

Components of a Prescription Label• number of refills left available, if any, or no

refills, if none• additional labels, “strip labels”, accessory

labels, informing patient of particular way to take medication assuring optimal effect