Discuss the elements of a prescription and the ways an APRN can protect his or her DEA number. Identify some of the most common prescription-writing errors and offer suggestions on how to prevent them

Discuss the elements of a prescription and the ways an APRN can protect his or her DEA number. Identify some of the most common prescription-writing errors and offer suggestions on how to prevent them

Discuss the elements of a prescription and the ways an APRN can protect his or her DEA number. Identify some of the most common prescription-writing errors and offer suggestions on how to prevent them

Medical Prescription

A medical prescription refers to a documented directive from a healthcare provider such as a physician to a pharmacist highlighting the dosage strength, form, preparation, and usage of a drug to be issued to a specific patient (Nkera-Gutabara & Ragaven, 2020). In the United States, a medical prescription is accepted as legal when written by a qualified physician, dentist, veterinarian, and advanced nurse practitioner, for whom the prescribed medication is within their scope of practice. A medical prescription, therefore, can include over-the-counter drugs, controlled substances, and prescription drugs. This writing will extensively elaborate on the components of a medical prescription, how an APRN can protect her DEA number and common prescription writing errors. Finally, the paper will highlight strategies for preventing prescription writing errors.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE ON;Discuss the elements of a prescription and the ways an APRN can protect his or her DEA number. Identify some of the most common prescription-writing errors and offer suggestions on how to prevent them

Elements of a Medical Prescription

A medical prescription principally contains four elements namely superstition, inscription, subscription, and signature. However, prior to these elements, prescriber information such as name, title, office address, and telephone number are outlined. The superscription part is composed of the date of the prescription and patient identifiers (Nkera-Gutabara & Ragaven, 2020). Essential patient identifiers include names, addresses, age, sex, and weight. Meanwhile, the inscription component is distinguished from the superscription by the symbol “℞” which is imperative for “take!”  According to Nkera-Gutabara and Ragaven (2020), the inscription is the body of the prescription and contains the name and dosage form of the prescribed drug as well as the strength, quantity, and proper dose present in the prescription. On the other hand, the subscription element contains directions to the pharmacist while the signature section includes instructions for the patient (Nkera-Gutabara & Ragaven, 2020). The signature part further includes the signature of the prescriber.

Protecting the DEA Number

A DEA number is an identifier assigned to APRNs to enable them to prescribe controlled substances hence it can be deployed to track and authenticate the prescription of controlled substances. It can be protected in various ways including locking up the prescription pads and using pads with watermarks to avoid replication. Similarly, APRNs can register with the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (CSPMP) and use its database to monitor their DEA number use. Finally, APRNs should regularly check the credit report for unusual comportments under their names.

Prescription Writing Errors and their Prevention

Several prescription errors have been reported in the literature. These errors are common among junior healthcare providers. The most commonly reported errors are errors of omission or incompleteness of a prescription (Shrestha & Prajapati, 2019).  Use of trade names as opposed to generic names, use of non-recommended abbreviations and decimal points as well as illegible handwriting are other cited prescription writing errors. Surprisingly, these errors are preventable. Preventive strategies include training and education and the use of electronic prescriptions. Prescribers should be guided through the elements of quality prescriptions and recommended abbreviations and decimals. Similarly, electronic prescriptions reduce errors due to illegible handwriting in addition to errors of omission (Shrestha & Prajapati, 2019). Finally, proper communication should be fostered among all parties involved in the prescription process.

Conclusion

A medical prescription is an elemental document that allows integral communication between prescribers, pharmacists, and patients. A quality prescription contains all the vital elements and should be written meticulously to minimize prescription errors. APRNs should protect their DEA identifier throughout their prescription process.

References

Nkera-Gutabara, J. G., & Ragaven, L. B. (2020). Adherence to prescription-writing guidelines for outpatients in Southern Gauteng district hospitals. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 12(1), e1–e11. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2263

Shrestha, R., & Prajapati, S. (2019). Assessment of prescription pattern and prescription error in outpatient Department at Tertiary Care District Hospital, Central Nepal. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, 12(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-019-0177-y

Discuss the elements of a prescription and the ways an APRN can protect his or her DEA number. Identify some of the most common prescription-writing errors and offer suggestions on how to prevent them.