If prescriptions have an unusual dosing or duration, pharmacists may need to contact the prescribing doctor, which takes time for everyone involved and delays treatment for patients.
Consider what might be helpful for pharmacists and add a comment on your WHY to your prescription when you first send it in.
Include information such as:
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- diagnosis, especially when dose and frequency are uncommon (ex., diabetic foot infection, amox/clav875/125mg po TID for 6 weeks)
- weights and mg/kg for children, so the pharmacist can confirm the correct dosing
- indications (ex. High dose antibiotics for otitis media in young children at daycare)
- explanations of unusual quantities (ex. for travel)
Or comments such as:
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- “Please don’t fill until requested.”
- “Contact patient when ready.”
TRICK:
Many EMRs will allow you to create a Macro for frequently used phrases. For example, “File” to turn into “Please file until patient calls to fill”, or “Call” to turn into “Please contact the patient when ready to pick up”. Once you have set up your Macro, you can type in your keyword, double-click the word, and your full phrase appears!
Not sure how to build macros? Contact the Practice Support Program for help!
