This document discusses interpreting prescriptions and medication orders. It defines prescriptions and outlines their key parts. Prescriptions can be written, electronic, or for hospitals. The pharmacist's role is to ensure accuracy by checking prescriber information, patient details, drug name and dosage, and for any abbreviations or errors. Common errors include illegible writing, violation of rules, or impossible prescriptions. Recommendations are provided to reduce errors like writing whole numbers, spelling units, and avoiding ambiguous abbreviations. The goal is the safe interpretation and dispensing of prescriptions.

1. Interpretation of Prescriptions
& Medication Orders
Sir Nino M. Seron, R.N., R.Ph.
.

2. Objectives
• To be able to interpret the common abbreviation
used in prescription and medication order
• To be familiar with Medical terms used in
medicine and pharmacy.

3. Prescription
• Order of medication issued by physician, dentist
or other properly licensed medical practitioner
• Prescribed medication is also known as
prescription
• Part of the professional relationship among the
prescriber, pharmacist and patient
• Usually written on reprinted forms containing
the traditional symbol (Rx) meaning, “recipe”,
“take thou” or “you take”

4. Prescription
• Parts of the Prescription

5. Prescription
• Broad Categories of Prescription
▫ Written for a single component or prefabricated
product and not requiring compounding or admixture
of a pharmacist
▫ Written for more than a single component and
requiring compounding
– Contain the quantities of each ingredient required
– Medications are prepared into various types of dosage
forms and delivery systems to ensure that medications is
administered appropriately and accurately

6. Prescription
• E-prescribing / E-prescription
▫ Medications are encoded into an automated data
entry system
▫ Advantages:
– Reduced errors due to prescription legibility
– Concurrent softwares are screened for drug
interaction
– Reduced incidence of altered or forged prescriptions
– Efficiency for both prescribers and pharmacists
– Convenience to the patient

7. Medication Order
• Forms used in
institutional or
hospital setting

8. Medication Order
• Other forms may be used depending on the unit
▫ Infectious disease, cardiac care, pediatric,
obstetrics, othopedics etc.
• Drug-specific forms may also be used
▫ Heparin dosing, electrolyte infusions, morphine
sulfate in patient controlled anesthesia
• Special forms used by clinical drug investigators
for their study protocol

9. Prescription and Medication Order Accuracy
• Responsibilities of the Pharmacist
▫ Ensure that Rx are correct in its form and content
▫ Rx is appropriate for the patient being treated
▫ Rx is subsequently filled, labelled and
administered accurately

10. Errors and Omissions
• Before dispensing, ensure that the prescription and
medication orders are correct for the following
aspects:
▫ Prescriber information (including address & telephone
number)
– DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) number for
authority to prescribe narcotics (S2 license)
– ID or License number of the physician
▫ Date of the Rx
▫ Patient information
– Dose relevant information like age or weight
▫ Drugs prescribed
– Dose, preparation strength, dosage form, quantity

11. Errors and Omissions
• Before dispensing, ensure that the prescription
and medication orders are correct for the
following aspects:
▫ Clarity of any abbreviations or symbols and/or
units of measure
▫ Refill and/or generic substitution
▫ Need for special labeling
– Expiration date, conditions for storage, foods and/or
other medications that should not be taken
concurrently
▫ Listing of ingredients to be compounded

12. Errors in Prescriptions
• Erroneous
▫ Brand name precedes generic
name
▫ Generic name in parenthesis
▫ Brand name not in
parenthesis
▫ What to do?
– Fill Rx
– File
– Report to FDA

13. Errors in Prescriptions
• Violative
▫ Generic name NOT written
▫ Generic name NOT legible
while brand name is
▫ Brand name is indicated
and instructed “NO
SUBSTITUTION” added
preventing generic
dispensing
▫ What to do?
– Do NOT fill
– File
– Report to FDA

14. Errors in Prescriptions
• Impossible
▫ ONLY the generic name is
written but NOT legible
▫ Generic name ≠ Brand
name
▫ BOTH generic and brand
name are NOT legible
▫ Prescribed drug NOT
registered in FDA
▫ What to do?
– Do NOT fill
– File
– Report to FDA

15. Use of Abbreviations
and Symbols
• Recommendations to Reduce Errors in the
Interpretation Rx & Medication Orders
▫ Whole number should not be written with a decimal point
or terminal zero
– 4 g not 4.0 g
▫ A quantity less than one should be shown with a zero
preceding the decimal point
– 0.4 g not .4g
▫ Leave a space between a number and a unit
– 4 mg not 4mg
▫ Use whole numbers and not decimal fractions if possible
– 100 mg not 0.1 g

16. Use of Abbreviations
and Symbols
• Recommendations to Reduce Errors in the
Interpretation Rx & Medication Orders
▫ Use the full names of drugs and not their abbreviations
– Phenobarbital not PB
▫ Use USP designation for the units of measure
– For grams, use g not Gm
▫ Spell out “units” and do not abbreviate International
Units
– “Units” instead of “U” , can be misread as µ
– “International Units” instead of IU, can be misread as IV
▫ Certain abbreviations that could be mistaken for other
abbreviations should be written

17. Use of Abbreviations
and Symbols
• Recommendations to Reduce Errors in the
Interpretation Rx & Medication Orders
▫ Avoid using “d” for day or dose because of profound
differences between terms
– As in mg/kg/day or mg/kg/dose
▫ Integrate capital letters to distinguish between “look
alike” drug names
▫ Amplify the prescribers directions on the prescription
label when needed for clarity
– Swallow one (1) capsule with water in the morning,
rather than AM