Psychiatrists’ Prescriptions

A look at psychiatrists’ prescriptions that one comes across during practice reveals many omissions and commissions. Apart from polypharmacy, prescriber’s data leaves much to be desired. Difficulty in deciphering prescribed drug names by another psychiatrist due to handwriting problem and plethora of trade names is common. Generic names in prescription are non-existent. Instructions to pharmacist about refill and patient about review are missing in most. Computerization of prescriptions in a standardised format to a large extent may minimize preventable errors and consequent problems apart from reducing over and indefinite dispensing and use