Typically, during a visit to the physician or nurse practitioner, you may be handed a prescription to have filled at your local pharmacy. Make sure that you know the name of the medication prescribed and its' purpose before you leave the office. Encourage the prescribing professional to write the reason for the medication directly on the prescription. This is important for two reasons.
Many drugs have names that look alike or sound alike.
Some doctors may have handwriting that is difficult to read leading to misinterpretation by your pharmacist. Writing the reason for use on the prescription will help the pharmacist avoid a dispensing error later at the pharmacy. Some physicians may already be using prescription blanks with diagnosis prompts or icons to ensure accuracy. Some physicians have begun to prescribe medications using a hand held computer. This new technology uses a radio- frequency wireless connection to communicate directly to retail pharmacies, or may print out a prescription right in the office.