The dispensing of healing medicines has a long history.
Originally the compounding of healing herbs and other plants was done by the same person who diagnosed the medical issue. Eventually, the apothecary, or pharmacist as we know them now, became specialists who prepared the healing compounds according to the doctor’s diagnosis. Both pharmacists and doctors are required to satisfy specified training and education in their own fields.
℞ is an abbreviation for “medical prescription”.
It is derived from the Latin word recipe, meaning “take”. In the 16th century, the word was abbreviated as ℞—the letter R with a line across the leg, which indicated that the R was an abbreviation. According to another theory, the Rx symbol is based on the Roman deity Jupiter. Jupiter’s symbol looked similar to the Rx symbol. The symbol may have been placed on a prescription to invoke Jupiter’s blessing of good health for the person taking the medicine.
Rx is recognized today as an abbreviation for “prescription.” The abbreviation relays to pharmacists that a prescription is authorized to be filled.
Medical prescriptions are written directions from the doctor or other health care professional for the preparation and administration of a specific medication or treatment. Prescriptions specify a drug or therapy name, dose, form, delivery route, frequency, timing, and purpose. Additionally, they tell the pharmacist how much to dispense and how many refills are available.
I was a certified pharmacy technician for several years. I saw an employment ad and thought – hmm, wonder what they do. I interviewed, thought it sounded like an interesting way to learn something new. It was-and I got to talk to lots of people, too!
Each state requires pharmacy technician training. Requirements and the job title may vary, but the basics are the same. Technicians are usually the customer’s point of contact at the pharmacy. They enter the prescription in the pharmacy system, measure or count medications, bottle and label them. The pharmacist will check and sign off on the prescription. Technicians are the ones providing customer service when you pick up your prescription. Techs verify medical insurance information and process insurance claims. They answer phones, providing basic information, like business hours. The one thing they cannot do is provide information to you about medical issues or your medication. The pharmacist is the only person authorized – and required by law – to provide information and to answer your questions.
Technicians need to know the “language”, including Latin abbreviations.
Effective communication is essential in the pharmacy for efficient tasking, record keeping, as well as patient safety, in preventing misspellings and misinterpretation. Pharmacy abbreviations act as shorthand language, allowing for the speedy and accurate conveyance of medication-related information. Because things move fast in the pharmacy!
Many doctors and other health professionals now use electronic prescribing. Instructions sent directly to the pharmacy electronically are less prone to human error, such as misreading a doctors handwriting. If your healthcare provider uses electronic prescribing, you may never see the abbreviations because the pharmacy will interpret the instructions in plain language.
My few medications come from a large mail order operation with electronic submission and are labelled in plain language. Wheels’ medication came from several different places, most of which used the abbreviations. His medication was also noted with abbreviations on hospital records and other places. It was worth knowing what the abbreviations meant. “Knowing the language” can also be helpful to you as an advocate for your person.
Here’s a List of Medical Abbreviations similar to the one I memorized for certification, prettied up a bit. You are welcome to print it for your caregiver’s notebook in the “good to know” section!
—–written by Charlene Vance —–