2. Requirements to the Latin part of a prescription

The Latin part of a prescription begins with the word “Recipe” and ends with “Signa”. You will have to learn the general requirements to the Latin part of a prescriptions as follows (abbreviations in prescriptions are impermissible):

1. The Latin part of a prescription begins with “Recipe”, this is a form of address of a physician to a pharmacist:

Recipe: Take:

1. Every prescription line, as well as all drug names begin with the capital letter

1. Every drug name is written in a separate prescription line. In doing so a blank space is left after “Recipe” (the pharmacist indicates a price of a drug here). If there is not enough space for a drug name in one line it is carried over to the next line with the left indent:

Recipe:	Phenylĭi salicylātis 3,0
	Spirĭtus aethylĭci quantum satis
	ad solutiōnem
	Vaselīni ad 30,0
	Misce, fiat unguentum
	Da. Signa: Apply to the skin of
	the face

2. The drug names after “Recipe” are in Genitive

3. After the drug name its quantity is indicated. The doses of drugs are indicated in the decimal numeration system:

1. Gram amounts - the abbreviation «gr» is not indicated, the quantity is indicated with decimal points – 10.0 (10 gr.); 0.25 (0,25 gr) etc.

1. Milliliter amounts - 10 ml, 0.2 ml;

1. Units of activity - ЕD: 100000 ЕD (100000 units of activity).

E.g: Recipe: Kalĭi chlorīdi 3,0

Insulīni 25 ЕD

Solutiōnis Glucōsi 10% - 1000 ml

Misceātur. Sterilisētur!

Detur. Signētur: For intravenous infusions.

1. Drops amounts (are used seldom) – the number of drops is indicated with Roman figures – singular guttam (one drop - guttam I), plural guttas (five drops - guttas V);

1. Sometimes a physician does not indicate the dosage but affords to a pharmacist an opportunity to determine the quantity of a drug on his own; in that case quantum satis is written in the prescription.

If several drugs are prescribed in the same amount, so the dose is indicated only after the latter one and the abbreviation ana (of each) is written:

E.g: Recipe: Cupri citrātis

Lanolīni

Vaselīni ana 5,0

Take: Coper citrate

Lanoline

Vaseline of each 5,0

Writing good prescriptions

1. careful use of decimal points to avoid ambiguity:

   1. avoid unneccessary decimal points: 5 mL instead of 5.0 mL to avoid possible misinterpretation of 5.0=50

   2. alway zero prefix decimals: e.g. 0.5 instead of .5 to avoid misinterpretation with .5=5

   3. never have trailing zeros on decimals: e.g. use 0.5 instead of .50 to avoid misinterpretation with .50=50

   4. avoid decimals altogether by changing the units: 0.5 g =500 mg