The Form Of A Prescription

Description

This section is from the book "Materia Medica: Pharmacology: Therapeutics Prescription Writing For Students and Practitioners", by Walter A. Bastedo. Also available from Amazon: Materia Medica: Pharmacology: Therapeutics: Prescription Writing for Students and Practitioners.

The Form Of A Prescription

Almost all prescriptions are of two classes, viz.: I. Material to be sent in bulk, as liquids, ointments, mixtures of powders, etc. II. Objects to be counted, as pills, tablets, powders, etc. Hence, it is easy to learn one or two forms for each of these classes. Prescriptions are spoken of as simple when they contain but one preparation, and compound when they include more than one. The following types represent variations in the two classes:

I. Material Dispensed In Bulk. - I. Simple Prescriptions

Linimenti chloroformi .........................................	ij
Sig Rub well over shoulder every four hours.
Pulveris glycyrrhizae compositi..........................	j
Sig Take a level teaspoonful in water each night.
Unguenti hydrargyri oxidi flavi .......................	ss
Sig Rub into eyelids morning and night.

2. Compound Prescriptions

(a) Where special directions to the pharmacist would be superfluous, i. e., where no possible method of mixing according to the pharmacist's art could make anything other than that desired. In such a case the directions for compounding are limited to M. or Misce, and it is a superfluity to write M. et ft. mistura, M. et ft. unguentum, M. et ft. collyrium (eye-wash), etc. Examples are:

Sodii bicarbonatis ................................................	3i
Fluidextracti rhamni purshianae ..........................	5ij
Misturae rhei et sodae ..............................q. s. ad	iij
M. et Sig 3 ij in water t. i. d. 2 h. p. c.
Sulphuris praecipitati .........................................	3 ij
Olei cadini..........................	3 iss
Unguenti zinci oxidi.................................q. s. ad	J
M. Sig Apply to itching area twice a day.
Magnesii oxidi ....................................................	3 ij
Sodii chloridi ......................................................	3 j
Sodii bicarbonatis ..............................................	ss

M. Et Sig

One level teaspoon in half a glass of hot water half an hour before breakfast.

(b) Where special directions to the pharmacist are necessary or serve to avoid uncertainty. Such a necessity is only occasional.

Buchu ...............................................................	3 iv
Matico .............................................................	3ij
Aquae ..............................................................	Viij
Ft. infusum.
Sig 3 ij in a wineglass of water every four hours.

In special cases directions for compounding may be placed after a portion of the ingredients, as:

Peponis .............................................................	3 ij
Granati,
Cusso .............................................................āā	3 j
Aquae bullientis...............q. s. ad	vj
Ft. infusum, cola et adde -
Oleoresinae aspidii .............................................	3 j
Mucilaginis acaciae .............................................	ss
Aquae ..............................................................	Viij
Sig Take half statim and half in three hours.

II. Objects to be Counted. - 1. Commonly Kept Ready-made - (a) With standard name, or with only one ingredient:

Pilulas catharticas compositas .............................	No. iij
Sig Take at bedtime.
Capsulas quininae sulphatis, gr. v ........................	No. xij
Sig One t. i. d. p. c.

(b) With no standard name -

Olei ricini ........................................................	iiss
Salolis ............................................................	gr. iiss
M. et ft. capsula No. j. Mitte tales No. xx.
Sig One q. 4 h.

(This omission of multiplication should never be resorted to except for ready-made objects. It would suggest a lazy physician.) 2. To Be Made Up Extemporaneously -

Acetanilidi .........................................................	gr. xxx
Ft. chartae No. vj.
Sig One q. 3 h.
Strychninae sulphatis................	gr. 1/4
Acetphenetidini .....................................................	gr. xxiv
Acetanilidi.....................................................................................	gr. xvi
M. et ft. capsulae No. viij. (Or M. et ft. in capsulas No. viij.)
Aloes purificatae ..............................................	gr. xviij
Massae hydrargyri..................	3 ss
Olei menthae piperitae................	gtt. iij
M. et ft. pilulae No. xij. (Or M. et ft. in pilulas No. xij.)
Sig Two at bedtime once a week.

The first example of this section may also be written -

Chartas acetanilidi gr. v (or "āā gr. v"). No. vj. Sig. - One q. 3 h.

The accusative plural forms of the names of objects to be counted are: cachetas (cachets), capsulas (capsules), chartas or chartulas (powders), pilulas (pills), suppositoria (supposi-tories), tabellas (tablets), tabellas trituratas (tablet triturates), tabellas hypodermaticas (hypodermic tablets), trochiscos (tro-chees).

If it is desired that the pharmacist send a piece of apparatus for the administration of the remedy, such as a camel's-hair pencil, a throat brush, an eye-dropper, a medicine-dropper, an eye-cup, this may be indicated by writing the name on the lower left-hand corner of the prescription blank. Thus:

Sol. sat. acidi borici ..........................................