Prescriptions: Definitions, parts
and handling
DR. KRISHAN KUMAR
A S S I S TA N T P R O F E S S O R
INSTITUTE OF PHARMACEUTICAL
R E S E A R C H , G L A U N I V E R S I T Y, M AT H U R A ,
281406
Definition of Prescription
A prescription is a written instruction for medicine from
a physician or a registered medical practitioner.
There is a link between the physician and the pharmacist
when it comes to prescribing.
Doctors and dentists, are examples of medical
practitioners.
Physician (RMP) -------> Pharmacist -------->Patient
Parts of Prescription
Prescriber office information
Date
Patient data (Name, Age, Sex, and Address of the
Patient)
Superscription (Symbol ℞)
Inscription (Medication prescribed)- Main part of a
prescription
Subscription (Direction to Pharmacist/ Dispenser)
Signatura or Transcription (Direction for Patient)
Renewal instructions
Prescriber’s signature and registration number
Prescriber office information
When a patient becomes ill, having information on
their physician is vital to being able to reach them in
an urgent situation.
The prescription contains the following information.
Name of the doctor or office;
Address with phone number and e-mail;
Prescription no
Date of Prescription
The top of the prescription should have the date.
As a result, a pharmacist can quickly determine the
date of the prescription.
If the prescription is being refilled, knowing when
the last time the drug was dispensed is also helpful.
The date protects the patient from abusing a
medication that is habit-forming.
Patient Data
This section should contain the patient's name, age,
weight, gender, and address.
This is a very necessary feature since it is used to
identify the person.
Identifying information such as the patient's name
and address is required.
Child patients must provide their age, weight, and
gender in order to determine the necessary dose.
Superscription
This is the section of the prescription that contains
the sign "Rx", which stands for "Take Thou" It's a
Latin term, and it's a good one. You take is a
common expression in English.
In the past, the sign was thought to have come from
the Jupiter sign. God of healing Jupiter is a Greek
deity.
The patient's fast recovery was requested by using
this sign.
Inscription (Medication Prescribed)
The inscription, which is the most important portion of
the prescription, contains information about the drug's
composition and dose.
The medication may be either an official or non-official
formulation of some kind.
a) Official Preparation (i.e., from pharmacopoeia): The
name of the preparation is the only thing written. E.g.,
Piperazine Citrate Elixir IP.
b) Non-official Preparation: Each ingredient's quantity
and preparation type will be specified.
Subscription
In the prescription, the subscription contains
instructions for the pharmacist on how to produce a
dose.
This section of the prescription specifies the number
of dosage units and the amount to be administered.
E.g., 10 Tabs of Paracetamol, for instance
Signatura
Direction given to patients regarding the administration of
drugs.
To be printed on the label.
The prescription is completed by signing the
prescription. t.i.d (three times a day), b.i.d (two times a
day), and o.d (one day) are used in the signature (once a
day).
Signed and stamped prescriptions are issued by a
licensed medical professional.
Parts of Prescription
Handling of Prescription
The handling of the prescription is crucial. The
pharmacist should follow the following steps when
processing a prescription for compounding and
dispensing:
1. Receiving
2. Reading and checking
3. Collecting and weighing the materials
4. Compounding, packaging and labelling
Receiving
The pharmacist must get the prescription.
While accepting a prescription, a pharmacist should
not alter his/her facial expression in any way.
It creates the appearance that the patient is puzzled
or stunned after seeing the prescription.
Receiving, Reading and Checking
• Behind the counter, the prescription should be checked
after it is received.
• The validity of the prescription should be verified.
• Verify the prescriber's signature and the date of the
prescription.
• In order to properly fill up a prescription, the pharmacist
must read all of the lines and words.
• He/she must not make any guesses about the words.
• As soon as he or she has any doubts, a pharmacist should
call another pharmacist or a prescriber.
Collecting and Weighing the Material
Materials should be retrieved from shelves or drawers prior to
compounding.
On the left-hand side of the balance, all of the materials are
maintained.
Each material should be placed on the correct side of the
balance once it has been measured.
After the prescription components have been compounded,
they are returned to the shelves or drawers.
Three times each container of material should be inspected
during compounding. (i) As soon as they are removed from
the shelves/drawers (ii) Measurement of materials. (iii) When
the containers are placed back on the shelves or drawers, the
process is complete.
Compounding, Packaging and Labelling
It is recommended that just one prescription be prepared
at one time.
Clean surfaces should be used during compounding.
Each piece of equipment must be thoroughly cleaned and
dried before use.
It should be created under the supervision of the doctor
or in accordance with pharmacopoeia or formulary
instructions.
It is important to fill the containers with the prepared
compounds. The container should be clearly marked with
a label.
Source of Error in Prescription
• Legibility
• Checking
• Too many customers
• Lack of concentration
• Too many phone calls and social media
• Lack of experience
