R.

Anita Indriyanti
Department of Pharmacology
Bandung Islamic University
• A Prescription is an order for
medication issued by a physician,
dentist, veterinarian or other properly
licensed medical practitioner.
Prescription designate a specific
medication and dosage to be
administered to a particular patient at
a specified time.
• Legal Classification of medication
1. Obtained only by prescription
2. Without a prescription (OTC drugs)
• Form of the prescription :
- Prescription blank
- Color : white
- Measurement / size
• Name :
Form
• Address :
• License of practice :
• Bandung, ………….
• R/

• Pro :
• Age :
• Address :
• The component parts of a prescription :

1. Patient information
2. Date
3. R/ symbol or Superscription
4. Medication prescribed or Inscription
5. Dispensing direction to pharmacist or Subscription
6. Directions for patient or Signa (to be placed on label)
7. Refill, special labeling and/or other instructions
8. Prescriber’s signature, address and other pertinent information
1. Patient information
- The full name
- Address
- Age and/or weight

2. Date
The time they are written and received and filled in the
pharmacy.
Important  for the medication record of the patient.
Drug abuse control  < 6 months after the date
prescribed.

3. R/ = symbol or superscription
Contraction of the Latin verb recipe
Meaning “take thou” or you take
4. Medication Prescribed or Inscription
The body of the prescription order
Contain : the name and quantities of the prescribed
ingredients (the symbol g or ml  often elimited)

Now : already prepared /prefabricated into dosage form by

industrial manufacturer
- trade mark or manufacturer’s proprietary name
- non proprietary
- generic name

Compounded prescription  the pharmacist to mix ingredient

5. Dispensing direction to pharmacist or Subscription

Consist :
- Direction to the pharmacist for preparing the
prescription(to designate the dosage form as tablet,
capsule etc.
- The number of dosage units to be suplied

Example :
- m . F . Caps . dtd . No XXIV
(mix and make capsule. Dispense 24 such dose)
- ft . Supp . No. XII (make 12 suppositories)
- m . Ft . Ungt (mix and make ointment)
6. Direction for patient or Signatura

Consist of :
- number of dosage unit each time
- frequency of administration
- time of administration
- route of administration

Word  abbreviated “signa” mean “mark thou”

written using abbreviated form of English, Indonesia or Latin
terms or combination of each.

Example :
- Tab II . q . 4h (take two tablet every four hours)
- Caps 1 . 4xd . Pc & h . c (take one capsule four times a
day after meals and at bed time )
- Instill gtts II od (instill two drops into the right eye)
The direction  the label of the container

Expiration date  do not use after ………. day

discard after ……… day

Auxiliary labels  shake – well

for the ear
external use
poison
not to be swallowed
etc
Example of Latin and English
Prescription Abbreviation
PHYSICIAN’S PRESCRIPTION In Indonesia

• Name :
• Specialist :
• Address :
• License of Practice
• Bandung,………2006

• R/
• Ampicillin.500mg caps No.XXIV
•
• S.4. d. d. caps I a.c.
•
• Name :
• Age :
• Address :
CLASSES OF PRESCRIPTION
1. Formula officinales ( Precompounded )
2. Formula Magistrales ( Compounded )

1. Precompounded
• name of preparation ; Amoxycillin, Intermoxil
• dosage form i.e.tablet, capsule, syrup, ointment
• single dose
• frequency of administration
• duration of therapy

• R/ Amoxycillin Caps.250 mg No.XX

S.4.d.d Caps.1
• R/ Panadol Tab. 500 mg No.IX
S.3.d.d Tab.1
2. Compounded
the single dose of each ingredient
the frequency of administration
duration of therapy  dosage form signature written by
physician

• R/ Acetaminophen 250 mg
Chlorpheniramin maleate 2 mg
Dextrametorphan HBr 10 mg
Sach. Lactis q.s.
M.f.pulv dtd No.IX
S.3.d.d pulv.1
Writing a prescription order ◄▬ select the
drug :

1. Individual patient
2. Dose
3. Dosage form
4. Route of administration
5. Duration of medication
6. No or minimum adverse drug interaction
Rasional Prescribing :

1. Make a specific diagnosis

2. Consider the pathophysiologic implication of the
diagnosis
3. Selecta specific therapeutic objective
4. Select a drug of choice
5. Determine the appropriate dose regiment
6. Devise a plan for monitoring the drug’s action
and determine an end point for therapy
1. Each ingredient's name shall have a
separate line

The mixed dosage form The single dosage form

R/ Ingredient A Xmg. R/Active Medicinal A.

Ingredient B Ymg R/active Medicinal B.
Ingredient C Xmg
2. Each line begin with capital letter
R/ Ephedrini Hydrochlorici .........
But the second word as an adjective:
R/ Sulphur praecipitatum
R/ Aqua destilata

3. Name of active ingredients come first,the name of

diluents or vehicle last. In a liquid prescription, the
name of the solid active medicinally are written
before those a liquid and the vehicle last.
R/ Dextromethorphan HBR 0,24 g
Ammonium Chioride 7,2 g
Aromatic Elexir, to make 120 ml.
4. Name of ingredients come first, the dosage form
last.

5.Latin is regularly employed for the name of the

ingredients and for the directions for compounding,
when in doubt as to the correct Latin expression
write in English.

6. When writing for more than the ordinary dose of the

potent drug, as for
R/Strychnine Hydrochloride 10 mg. ( initial ) !
7. This part of the prescription usually consist of:
a. The Basic or principal active ingridient.
b. The Adjuvant or that which assists its action
c. The Corrigens ( Corrective ) or that which correct
its operations.
d. The Vehicle or Excipient which imparts an
agreeable form.
How to write a prescription ?

Let’s practice