Pharmapedia Pro
Back to Ward Guide
Ward Protocols

How to Write Drug Prescriptions

Proper prescription writing is a critical clinical skill. Follow these guidelines:

Essential Components of a Prescription

1. Patient Information

  • Full name
  • Age, gender, weight (especially for pediatric dosing)
  • Hospital number / OPD number
  • Date

    • 2. Drug Information

  • Drug name (generic, not brand, unless necessary)
  • Dosage form (Tab, Caps, Susp, Inj, etc.)
  • Strength (e.g., 500 mg, 250 mg/5 mL)
  • Dose to be administered
  • Route of administration (PO, IV, IM, SC, etc.)
  • Frequency (OD, BID, TID, QID, etc.)
  • Duration of treatment
  • Special instructions (e.g., "with food", "before meals")

    • 3. Prescriber Information

  • Doctor's name and signature
  • Registration/license number
  • Date

    • 4. General Guidelines

  • Use capital letters for drug names
  • Write units in full (avoid ambiguous abbreviations)
  • Use the metric system
  • Specify "mL" not "cc"
  • Write "units" not "U" (to avoid misreading as "0")
  • Include indication for PRN medications

    • Common Prescription Errors to Avoid

  • Incomplete patient information
  • Wrong drug name (look-alike, sound-alike)
  • Wrong dose or frequency
  • Wrong route of administration
  • Failing to specify duration
  • Using dangerous abbreviations