Prescription Writing Rules

Physical activity as a therapeutic agent

In modern medical practice, prescribing physical activity (PA) is equivalent to prescribing a full-fledged pharmacological drug. This process requires strict adherence to a structure similar to a classic prescription. All parameters are selected individually, as they strictly depend on the clinical and functional status of a specific patient.

The prescription structure includes three main blocks:

1. Therapeutic agent. In this case, the physician needs to clearly define the specific type of physical load indicated for the patient.
2. Dose. Dosing physical activity is a complex concept that includes several parameters at once:
3. Intensity of physical activity (how hard the exercise is performed).
4. Duration of physical activity (time of a single session).
5. Frequency of physical activity (number of repetitions).
6. Volume of physical activity (total amount of work performed).
7. Administration regimen. This specifies the frequency and periodicity of performing the assigned exercises during the day, week, or course of treatment.

Prescribing solid dosage forms

Solid forms include tablets, coated tablets, granules, suppositories, and powders. When prescribing them, strict grammatical and structural rules of Latin formatting apply.

• Abbreviated method. If a physician prescribes tablets or suppositories containing only a single ingredient, using a short recording form is permitted. The name of the dosage form itself is placed in the accusative singular case (for example, Tabulettam for a tablet or Suppositorium for a suppository). This is followed by the standard formulation Da tales doses numero... (Give such doses in the number of...).
• Indication of substance and dose. In situations where only the active substance itself and its single dose are prescribed in the prescription, a different construction is used: Da (Dentur) tales doses numero ... in tabulettis (Give such doses in the number of ... in tablets).
• Powders in capsules. For this specific form, there is a separate prescription formula requiring an instruction to mix: Misce, fiat pulvis. Da tales doses numero ... in capsulis (Mix, let a powder be made. Give such doses in the number of ... in capsules).
• Identical dosages. If the drug contains two or more ingredients prescribed consecutively in absolutely identical doses, there is no need to duplicate the numbers. The dose is written only once — after the name of the last component. The Greek abbreviation ana, which translates as "in equal parts", must be placed before the number.

Examples of Latin names

Proper knowledge of Latin terminology is required to correctly fill out prescription forms. Below are examples of writing common solid forms:

• Tablets: dichlothiazide is prescribed as Tabulettae Dichlothiazidi. If the tablets are coated, the corresponding definition is added: lipoic acid — Tabulettae acidi lipoici obductae, and aminazine — Tabulettae Aminazini obductae.
• Coated tablets: diazoline is formatted as Dragee Diazolini, and ascorbic acid — Dragee acidi ascorbinici.
• Granules: glycerophosphate is prescribed in the form of Granula Glycerophosphatis.

Features of liquid dosage forms

Liquid forms represent an extensive group requiring knowledge of methods for expressing solution concentrations and routes of administration.

This category includes:

• Solutions intended for injection and parenteral administration.
• Mixtures, emulsions, and suspensions.
• Eye drops and various aerosols.

Specific prescription rules exist for each of these subgroups. At the same time, it is important to remember that forms such as infusions, decoctions, tinctures, and extracts are separated into distinct categories and have their own nuances of prescription.

Class and exam questions

What else to study on this topic

• Classification of liquid dosage forms
• Solutions for injection and parenteral administration
• Methods of expressing solution concentrations
• Rules for prescribing eye drops and aerosols
• Features of prescribing mixtures, emulsions, and suspensions

Prepared by WhiteCoat Pro faculty in accordance with the medical school curriculum. For educational purposes only.