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