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Decipher this sig?


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Drug, strength, 1/2 to 1 tab PO Q 8 hours PRN muscle spasms.

Better is to use plain language (which I don't generally do). Drug, strength, take 1/2 to one tablet every 8 hours as needed for muscle spasms.

I had a new pharmacist call me a couple of months back because I still write "old fashioned" and she didn't understand it.

The problem with TID PRN is people are sometimes very stupid. 1 TID PRN might mean I can take 3 in an hour if I think I need it as long as that all I take today. Think it can't happen? I gave an Army Captain a bottle of Amox powder that needed to be reconstituted for his baby. He came back later and told me the powder was burning his baby's mouth. He was giving an infant a tsp of Amox powder. In fairness he was an artillery officer. 🙂

Edited by Hemmingway
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4 minutes ago, Hemmingway said:

Better is to use plain language (which I don't generally do).

I'll look up what MDToolbox translated it to, but it was plainer language than what I just wrote, both the initial script, and the revised script which is still not being filled.

No guesses which drug/strength I prescribed with that sig?

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14 hours ago, rev ronin said:

"0.5-1 po qhs up to tid prn muscle spasms"

1) Is this unclear?
2) If so, how would you rewrite it?
3) What medication and dosage is this for?
4) Would you expect a pharmacist to dispense this medication as written?

1. A bit but I figured it out 

2. I'd write Q8H for the reasons in the post above. I'd instruct the pt to take it QHS up to Q8H if needed. 

4. No, and then I'd call and let the pharmacist know my insight as to why I wrote it that way and ask how they would write it. 

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Q HS is daily at bedtime...so I would read this as 1/2- 1 orally daily at bedtime up to 3x daily.

I probably would have written as

1/2-1 tab daily at bedtime. May also take 1/2-1 tab q 6 hrs during the day as needed for muscle spasm. 

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