Pharmaceutics Presentation of Prescription PDF

Lec 2 PHARMACEUTICS Dr. Ahmed Presentation of prescription (A) Read the prescription to decide: Is the prescription legal? Who is it for? Adult, children, elderly, animal? What is the name of preparation? What is the...

Lec 2 PHARMACEUTICS Dr. Ahmed Presentation of prescription (A) Read the prescription to decide: Is the prescription legal? Who is it for? Adult, children, elderly, animal? What is the name of preparation? What is the instructions for the patient? What quantity to be dispensed? (B) Find out informations: What about this preparation or medicine? How does it act? How it is used? Are the prescribed instructions is correct? How is it prepared? What advice does the patient requires? (C) Carry out procedures: How to make and dispense the preparation. Packing into appropriate container. Labeling the container. Supply the patient with appropriate advices. The instructions for use: Certain convention rules and abbreviations are used when instructions are written on the prescription such as signature or more commonly its abbreviation (Sig) which means (let it to be labeled). 1 Lec 2 PHARMACEUTICS Dr. Ahmed The instructions are to be written in latin abbreviation, example ''t.i.d''. means three times daily. Notes about reading of prescription One of the responsibilities of the pharmacist is to check that: (1) The prescription to be dispensed must be legal, dated, the undated prescription is considered illegal. (2) The prescription legal for limited time, usually 6 months for some medicaments and 3 months for drugs that cause dependence or addiction (3) Before dispensing prescription, signature of prescriber must be checked. (4) For elderly patients, some drugs are given in smaller doses; this can help in reducing the level of side effects. (5) Know patient is an adult or child, in order to check the dose. (6) When the prescription is for animal, the information about the type and weight of the animal is needed, to check drug and dose appropriate. Incomplete prescription If certain details are misused from prescription such as the prescriber's signature or the date of dispensing, the prescription must be returned to the prescriber to be completed or corrected, the prescriber may be contacted over the telephone, the missing data which can be then added or corrected by the pharmacist to complete it. 2 Lec 2 PHARMACEUTICS Dr. Ahmed If however, there is any doubt about the accuracy of the information, the prescription must not be dispensed; the patient in this case must be referred back to the prescriber. The dispensed quantity The quantity to be dispensed is expressed by the term (Mitte) or its abbreviation (Mitt.) or (M) means ''send'', which is an indication for the quantity to be dispensed of certain preparation. The following example represent a typical prescription: Example 1 (Rx) Tablet Paracetamol Sig. 1 tab., t.i.d. for 2 weeks This means that: 1x 3 x 14 = 42 tablets are required. Example 2 (Rx) Tabs. Diazepam Sig. 4 mg, t.i.d., for 30 days supply. In this example, the strength of preparation is not stated, but implicated in the instruction for use. Diazepam tablets are supplied usually in three strengths: 2, 5 and 10 mg. For this prescription, the most convenient tablet used to achieve this dose is the 2 mg tablet strength (two tablet of 2 mg will achieve the dose 4mg). So, number of tablets to be dispensed should be: 2 tablets, taken three times daily, for a total of 30 days, i.e: 3 Lec 2 PHARMACEUTICS Dr. Ahmed 2 x 3 x 30 = 180 tablets must be supplied Regarding liquids for oral use, these preparations should be dispensed with a 5 ml spoon. When the prescribed dose is less than 5 ml, i.e. fraction of 5ml, an oral syringe should be supplied with that liquid product. Generic name prescribing It is better to encourage the physician to prescribe drugs by its generic names to allow the pharmacist to dispense any suitable and available products. Most of drugs are produced by several manufacturers; accordingly they are available in several brands or trade names. Although all are the same drug and the same dosage form, their may differ in the bioavailability and external feature may affect or confuse the patient, accordingly the patient must be maintained on the same brand. However, when a branded product is prescribed, that brand or trade name must be supplied or dispensed. Records for repeatable prescriptions When a prescription is repeated, full record of initial dispensing is fixed on the private prescription the following details are required: 1) Date of initial dispensing. 2) Indication about the number of repeat. 4 Lec 2 PHARMACEUTICS Dr. Ahmed 3) The date of repeat dispensing, should be indicated in the original. However, the private repeatable prescription in most instances will be returned to the patient, unless the prescriber has indicated the word “not to be repeated”. It is of good practice by the pharmacist to record all private prescriptions in special book, which must be retained or kept for 2 years from the last entry. 5