Gi - 3-9 - Pharm - Writing Rx

Front 1

Complete prescription (8 parts)

Back 1

A. Date (and why important)

B. Patient identification (name, address, age or birthday)

C. Superscription (Rx, Recipe, or "Take thou")

D. Inscription (exact description of product)

E. Subscription (instructions for dispensing, number, etc: use metric)

F. Signa (Label; instructions to patient; avoid Latin abbreviations)

G. Information about refill (what is most convenient?)

H. Prescriber information (Signature, name, degree, address, phone, DEA number if needed)

Front 2

value of drug

Back 2

(benefit-risks)/costs

Front 3

Six steps to help with rational prescribing--any indication, any situation!

Back 3

A. TRY TO MAKE THE MOST ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS YOU CAN. (That is the first important step of effective and safe prescribing.)

B. THINK ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE (That's why I love Year 2 and SBM so much--it's all about understanding pathophysiology, to help out the pharmacology.)

C. MAP OUT FOR YOURSELF THE MENU OF DRUGS THAT COULD BE USEFUL TO TREAT THE PATIENT. (For HTN, for example, there are around 40 drugs that could be used.)

D. FROM THAT MENU, SELECT THE ONE DRUG THAT SEEMS OPTIMAL FOR YOUR SPECIFIC PATIENT. (Based on many factors such as gender, age, compliance, other conditions, other meds, liver status, kidney status, past drug allergies, pregnant, breast feeding, etc, etc).

E. SELECT WHAT ENDPOINTS TO FOLLOW. (For HTN, we obviously want to follow BP. But also K and Mg if we give HCTZ; heart rate and energy level if we give atenolol; cough if we give lisinopril; orthostasis if we give prazosin; etc.)

F. MAINTAIN YOUR CONTRACT OR ALLIANCE WITH YOUR PATIENT (You need to be there for the patient when the first drug does work like you hoped it would, and try to find a second solution that will work better for the patient. When the Penicillin causes a rash, you need to stop that drug, and select a different antibiotic that won't cross react, etc.)