Week 1- Rx writing Flashcards
Can a prescription be electronic?
Yes
What is a prescription drug?
A drug that is considered potentially harmful if not under supervision by a licensed practitioner.
What seven things does the FDA regulate?
Human and animal drugs
Human food
Therapeutic agents of biologic origin
Medical devices
Radiation-emitting products
Cosmetics
Animal feed
What is the standard prescription language?
Latin
What does Rx mean?
Recipe- what DRUG you want
What does sig mean?
Signature- the directions how to TAKE the drug
When did the FDA begin?
1862
Which act’s primary purpose was to protect the consumer?
The Food & Drug Act of 1906
What are the three drug standards?
Strength
Quality
Purity
Why was the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic act of 1938 primarily passed?
Because of the Elixir Sulfanomide- pediatric wonder dtug that was actually anti-freeze.
T/F
The 1938 act require labels for directions of use.
True
T/F
“Misbranded” food or drug was allowed only for interstate shipment
False
T/F
The label did not have to warn about habit-forming drugs.
False
T/F
The 1938 law specified WHICH drugs required a prescription.
False
Are the laws of 1938 regarding drug quality still in place?
Yes.
Does the FDA need to approve any/all drugs prior to marketing?
Yes
What did the Durham-Humphrey amendment of 1951 contribute?
It established 2 drugs: OTC and Rx
What drug regulation occured between 1940 and 1960?
The FDA regulated amphetamines and barbiturates
The Drug Abuse control amendment gave what to the FDA in 1965?
More control over drugs with abuse potential.
What are the parts of the written Rx?
Superscription
Inscription
Subscription
Signatura
Prescriber name and credentials
What does the superscription include?
Date(when drug is prescribed)
Name of patient
Address of patient
What does “take thou” mean?
Rx
What is the body of the prescription called?
Inscription
What does Inscription include?
The name of the ingredient, amount, strength of each ingredient
Directions to the pharmacist in included in what portion of the prescription?
Subscription
“Write”
“Make”
“Label”
all mean what?
Signatura
Out of the following listed professionals, who CANNOT write a prescription:
Doctor
Vet
Dentist
Sonographer
Nure Practitioner
Podiatrist
Optometrist
Pharmacist
Physician Assistant
Sonographer
When do legend drugs expire?
A year from the date issued.
What should weight-based dosing be converted to?
Kg
Should one guess on dosing?
NO! Look it up
What two things must liquid meds indicate?
Concentration
Dosage
What is drug concentration?
The active drug in the solution
What is dosage?
How many/much to take
Is writing “Dispense for one month” accurate?
No, write Disp # 30.
What part of the prescription is encouraged but seldom practiced?
The i_ndication_ of the drug
Is it enough to write “prn”?
No, it is important to indicate what the drug is being taken for.
When should refills be included?
To avoid a lapse in maintenance therapy- such as blood pressure medications, thyroid meds etc.
Should abbreviations be used on a prescription?
They can- however use with caution and write legibly.
Is this dosage written correctly
5.0 mg?
NO!
Avoid trailing zeros.
It should be written: 5 mg so as not to be mistaken for 50 mg
What is the proper way to write “seventy grams”?
70 mg
Should leading zeros be used for
0.7 ml?
Yes, it should be used as 0.7 ml as opposed to .7 ml
What strength options are used?
Percent
g,mg
Meq/ml
What is the strength of a drug?
Concentration of a drug in a solution
For example: 8 mg/0.8 ml
What are the three measurement systems used?
Apothecary (old system)
Household
Metric
Which measurement system is commonly used?
The metric system: mass, volume,area
What are the units for measurement of Apothecary?
Grain (basic unit)- single grain of wheat
Minum (liquid meds)- one drop = volume = 1 grain
When can household measurements be used?
One teaspoon = 5 ml
When converting grams to mg, what direction is the decimal point moved?
To the right
.35 g = 350 mg
How is lbs converted to kg?
Divide it by 2.2
What are some of the ALWAYS rules to maximize patient safety?
ALWAYS-
write legibly
space out words and numbers
complete medication orders
Fill in the blank:
When in doubt ____________!
VERIFY
