In the United States, more than 7,000 deaths are associated with prescription errors every year, and most of these errors stem from doctors’ scribbled handwritten writing.
The scribbled handwriting of doctors has always been a problem in the medical community, which is not only prone to misunderstandings, but may also pose a threat to the safety of patients.As an indispensable communication bridge for medical institutions, prescriptions carry doctors’ medication instructions to patients.Despite the ever-changing healthcare system and the popularity of electronic prescriptions has greatly reduced this problem, paper prescriptions still exist.Medical regulations in some areas even emphasize that prescriptions must be clearly readable, such as Florida requires prescriptions to be "clearly printed or typed."
Each prescription should contain at least the following information: the prescription's name, address, professional qualification, and the patient's name and address.The prescription should also list the name, dosage and medication method of the prescription in detail.For children's prescriptions, it is recommended to record their age and weight additionally to ensure the accuracy of the dose.For non-professional use of drugs, medical personnel should directly prescribe unprescription drugs.This basic information helps reduce possible errors.
Using prescription forms with preset options, doctors can choose without having to handwriting, which can significantly reduce the chance of handwriting errors.
The handwritten handwriting of doctors is widely considered difficult to identify, so many medical systems have begun to try to solve this problem through printing or electronic systems.In some areas, doctors have been encouraged to use electronic prescriptions, which not only reduces the risk of misunderstandings, but also improves the efficiency of management of medical resources.However, for cases where handwriting prescriptions are still required, doctors should use clear letters when writing, avoid vague abbreviations, and ensure permanent ink in black or blue.
With the advancement of technology, more and more medical institutions are beginning to explore the use of electronic health record systems and electronic prescriptions, which not only improve efficiency and reduce error rates, but also share patient information among different hospitals.The UK's electronic prescription transfer program is trying to establish an electronic communication platform between doctors and pharmacists, which will hopefully replace some traditional handwritten prescriptions in the future.
In summary, the challenge facing pharmacists is not only the accuracy of the dispensing medicine, but also the understanding and interpretation of the prescription content.Faced with the ongoing problem of scribbish handwriting, the medical community needs to work together to ensure the safety of patients, whether through the introduction of technology or the improvement of writing standards.In such a situation, what specific measures do you think should be taken to resolve this issue?