The following is an explanation of the features and intended functions and the legal requirements of writing a prescription.

1. Prescriber’s Information

   This information is usually found at the top of the prescription. It generally consists of the prescribing clinician’s name, office address, and contact information (usually the office’s telephone number).

2. Patient’s Information

   Below the prescriber’s information is the patient’s information. This section will include the patient’s full name, age, and date of birth. Sometimes the patient’s home address will be found here, as well. You should also specify the date you wrote the prescription.

3. Recipe (Rx)

   The recipe should include the medication being prescribed, its dose, and its dosage form. For example, if you are prescribing 650 milligrams (mg) tablets of acetaminophen, you would write “acetaminophen 650 mg tablets” or “acetaminophen 650 mg tabs.”

4. Signature (Sig)

   After the recipe is the signature, the signature (Sig) gives the patient instructions on how to take the medication. The Sig should include information on how much drug to take, how to take it, and how often to take it.
   
   For example, if you would like your patient to take one 650 mg tablet of acetaminophen every six hours, you would write “Take 1 tablet by mouth every six hours” or, using abbreviations, “1 tab PO q6h.”
   
   For as-needed or pro re nata (PRN) prescriptions, you should indicate that the prescription is PRN and describe the conditions under which your patient can take the prescribed medication. Writing your prescription as a PRN order essentially gives the patient the option to take the drug when needed.
   Let’s say that you would like your patient to be able to take one 650 mg tablet of acetaminophen every six hours when he or she has a headache. In that case, your instructions would read, “Take 1 tablet by mouth every six hours as needed for a headache” or “1 tab PO q6h PRN headache.”

5. Dispensing Instructions (Disp)

   Next comes the dispensing instructions, which let the pharmacist know how much medication you would like your patient to receive. You should include the amount of medication you would like to be dispensed and the form in which it should be released. You should also make sure to write out any numbers you use here to minimize the risk of a medication error. For our acetaminophen example, if you would like your patient to receive a one-week supply (or 28 tablets) of the medication, you would write “28 (twenty-eight) tablets” or “28 (twenty-eight) tabs.”

6. Number of Refills (Rf)

   After the dispensing instructions, specify how many times you would like your patient to refill his or her medication. Be sure to write out again any numbers you use. If you do not want to prescribe any refills, write “zero refills.” For our hypothetical acetaminophen example, if you are prescribing one refill, you would write “1 (one) refill.”

7. Prescriber’s Signature

   At the bottom of the prescription, you should sign your name. Oftentimes, you will include your National Provider Identifier (NPI) in this section. For controlled substances, you usually will include your Drug Enforcement Agency Number. These are necessary for the pharmacy to verify your prescription more easily.