We’ve Heard Of Talking S***, But…

The software we use in our clinic — as I imagine most EMRs [electronic medical records] do — automates the writing of prescriptions (called a sig). You fill out a few text fields (quantity and formation, route, frequency) and a few number fields (number of days, number dispensed), and you have a prescription. You can also add relevant information (diagnosis code, when to take the med, etc.) to the text fields.

The software will save a medication’s sig in a patient’s chart so it’s easy to just load and send the next time.

The absolute best sig I have seen to date was for a medication called tamsulosin, and I have no clue how long the doctor had been sending it like this.

Prescription: “Take one tablet to make it easier to urinate by mouth once per day, 30 days, 30 tablets.”