Safe prescribing principles.
Components
- • Patient identifiers, weight, allergies
- • Drug name (generic, BLOCK letters)
- • Dose with units (mg, mcg — never "μ")
- • Route, frequency, max dose
- • Date, signature, prescriber number
Safety
- • Cross-check allergy + interaction (BNF / app)
- • Renal + hepatic adjust
- • Never use trailing zeros (5.0) — write 5
- • Always use leading zero (0.5 mg) — never .5
- • Avoid abbreviations ("u" for units; "od" daily not right eye)
Controlled drugs
- • Full name + address of patient
- • Form + strength, total quantity in words AND figures
- • Dose, signature, date — handwritten not required in hospital
