Prescribing Safely

• Know a lot about drugs
• Only prescribe for a narrow list of drugs that you know really well
• Use more established drugs, and avoid new drugs unless they really are an advance
• Be careful prescribing drugs to young women
• Use low doses in the elderly
• Double check with the BNF if you are prescribing a drug

–For the first time
–To someone on lots of other drugs
–To someone with liver or kidney disease

ALWAYS WRITE
–Name

–Date of birth

–Hospital Identity number

–Allergies

–Date of admission

–Consultant’s name

–Prescriber’s name and bleep no.

Avoid decimal points

Units

–g: grams

–mg: milligrams

–mcg: micrograms

–ng: nanograms

–U: units

Formulation of the drugs:

-tabs (tablets)

-caps (capsules)

Frequency:

–od–once a day

–bd–twice a day

–tds–three times a day

–qds–four times a day

–PRN(still need to give maximum dose)

–1º-1 hourly

Route of Administration

–po-orally

–iv -intravenously

–im-intramuscularly

–top–topical (state where)

–s/c-subcutaneously

Special instructions

e.g. take before food

Finally

SIGN and DATE