Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Writing a generic script

Has anyone ever seen a patient and then written a prescription such as this:

Med: Little green pill that looks oval - or maybe round

Sig: Take as directed as patient remembers

Disp: QS Quantity Sufficient

Refills: None. Next time I will know the med.


Pharmacists don't quite get the humor, and it guarantees a call at 9PM. I generally write it on tamper-proof paper just in case, hence the writing out of the abbreviation QS.

I'll probably delete this, but I just wrote it after another patient described their pill to me as if A) all 50,000 medications have a unique size and shape, and B) that I would know them all.

I love it! I just had the other half of this conversation with the daughter of an elderly patient, here for follow up after a hospitalization for an MI. "Did you bring the medications?" No, you don't need them, they are all there on the list from the hospitalist". ... You know how this turns out. Even the Rx that the daughter had ME write 5 days ago, because the hospitalist didn't (couldn't be bothered?) was among the missing and the patient insists it wasn't filled yet. etc, etc.

It is pretty funny and only because of how true it is. I love the sites like Lexi-Comp or whatever that have the electronic algorithms where you just type in red, oval, small, etc., and it is supposed to, with that limited information, somehow find the drug amongst those listed in the PDR. As if I have time to fill in that algorithm.

OK, this would just be great:

Patient: Doc, I can't remember the name of it. I think you, I don't know may have been my last doctor...anyway...
Doctor: Well, I need to know the name.
Patient: I can't recall. I think it starts with a P.
Doctor: Oh, that narrows it down. Do you have acid reflux? Maybe it was Prevacid.
Patient goes on to describe pill.

Doctor to Nurse: Umm...Emily, can you call in a diamand-shaped, blue tablet that has GRV or something like that on it. Maybe the number 10 is on it.

Nurse calls in:

http://www.biopsychiatry.com/sildenafil/sildenafil-viagra.jpg

And, he also says he takes a white oval tablet with OL on it or something. Maybe CL, he isn't sure.

Emily calls in:

http://www.healthsquare.com/common/images/p/PLV09920_49408_5.JPG

(that one didn't come out right, but it's nitroglycerin)

Wants to pick it up before they close. Says things haven't been the same without them.

*************
Do you really want to be using a Beta version for this?

http://www.drugs.com/imprints.php

(I can't believe I looked all that stuff up just for a post. I really do need to get a life.)