Understanding Medical Prescriptions

• Medical Prescription: The slides discussed medical prescriptions, different types of prescriptions, and related concepts

Medical Prescription

• A medical prescription is a healthcare document that enables communication between the prescriber, dispenser, and patient
• Serves as a record of control and administrative documentation when required

Medical Prescription Parts

• The heading contains administrative data like the company's logo and name, the date, and patient information
• The body includes the name of the medication, its concentration, pharmaceutical form, quantity, and prescribed dosage and treatment duration
• The footer includes the prescribing physician's signature, stamp, dosage instructions, frequency of administration, and treatment duration

Prescription Example

• An example prescription includes patient information such as name and date
• It also includes the medication name and quantity requested, as well as treatment duration
• Also included is the prescribing instructions and details, and the physician's signature and stamp

Specific Prescription

• Certain medications, like those containing controlled substances, require a special prescription form
• This prescription will have its prescription to be delivered to the pharmacy
• It also includes patient and physician information as well as other indications

Psychotropic and Narcotic Medications

• Psychotropic drugs are natural or synthetic substances affecting mental functions via the central nervous system (CNS)
• Narcotic drugs (or 'stupefacienti') are psychotropic substances with a high potential for abuse/dependence, such as morphine, cocaine, or marijuana
• Can alter behavior

Drug Dependence

• According to the WHO, drug dependence involves a mental and physical state caused by the interaction between a living organism and a drug, leading to behavioral changes and an irrepressible impulse to use the drug regularly to experience its effects

Common Narcotic Drugs

• Common narcotics used in medical practice include:
  • CNS Depressants
  • Sympathomimetics
  • Opioids
  • Cannabis derivatives

Pharmacovigilance

• The WHO defines pharmacovigilance as the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problem

Important Pharmacovigilance Objectives

• Boost patient care, medication safety, and overall public health
• Detect medication-related problems, contribute to risk-benefit evaluations, and promote rational drug use
• Promote the public's awareness and education in the pharmacovigilance and effective communication

Key Aspects of Pharmacovigilance in practice

• Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR): A harmful and unintended response to a medicine at doses normally used in humans
• Medication Error: Preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm
• Therapeutic Failure: Unexpected lack of efficacy of a medication

Pharmaceutical Care

• Pharmacy care is the active involvement of the pharmacist in dispensing and monitoring drug therapy, collaborating with medical professionals to enhance patients' quality of life and promote well-being

Key aspects of Pharmaceutical Care

• Pharmaceutical care assists patients
  • Prescreen to determine proper intervention
  • Ensure patients follow set plan
• Important services include
  • Guidance for medications that don't need a prescription
  • Disease prevention
  • Health education
  • Continuous safety check, and personalized therapy