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Archive => Archives => Topic started by: Raydean on June 20, 2006, 06:59:36 pm

Title: no more guessing prescriptions for WA State
Post by: Raydean on June 20, 2006, 06:59:36 pm

Long overdue, I really hated it when I would call around for the best pricing and say "I think this is what he wrote"

Wash. law forces doctors to write legible prescriptions

10:53 AM PDT on Tuesday, June 20, 2006
KING5.com Staff


OLYMPIA - Health care providers in Washington state can no longer write prescriptions in cursive. The law, passed by the legislature this year, is intended to protect patients from receiving the wrong medication because of illegible prescriptions.

"Until electronic prescribing tools are common to clinicians, a legibly written prescription may be one of the most important communications related to patient safety and reducing medication errors," said Steve Saxe, executive director of the Washington Board of Pharmacy. "This law is good for providers, pharmacists and consumers."

The law requires that all prescriptions be hand printed, typewritten or electronically generated. A legible prescription is defined as a medication order that can be read and understood by the pharmacist, nurse, or practitioner who must dispense it.

This law does not prohibit pharmacies from accepting an oral or faxed medication orders or prescriptions.

The law went into effect this month.


PS  another reason why this is the best coast <G>


 

Title: Re: no more guessing prescriptions for WA State
Post by: cookiesecond on June 20, 2006, 07:06:24 pm

That is really great! I can never read my prescriptions.
Lynn

Title: Re: no more guessing prescriptions for WA State
Post by: matti on June 20, 2006, 08:00:02 pm

For the life of me, I don't know how pharmacists are able to interpret the scribble from physicians. They must take a special class in med school LOL. 

I've made a habit of asking my doctors what the prescription says in detail, before I leave the office.

Title: Re: no more guessing prescriptions for WA State
Post by: ppearl214 on June 20, 2006, 08:03:26 pm

oh, Raydean, that's great... now, being the daughter of the local "drug pusher" (pharmacist), PapaPearl, I've learned how to read 'scripts, so if your dr's write you one and you can't tell what it says, fax/scan-email to me and I'll decifer for you! :D

xoxo
Phyl

Title: Re: no more guessing prescriptions for WA State
Post by: Battyp on June 20, 2006, 08:39:37 pm

that's great...I know here most of the doctors print them from their computers which makes it nice.  That way they have a record of what they give you too.  Yeah, I'm thinking they have a class in pharmacy school on how to interpret the doctors handwriting...hmmm..handwriting 101?  LOL