NewCrop’s sig builders are designed to help you quickly write complete and precise prescriptions. We encourage use of our dropdown selections for consistency and efficacy.
However, there are times when a freeform sig must be written. Under these circumstances, it is best practice to always follow these tips.
- A complete prescription should always include an action, the dose quantity, dose unit, the route of administration, the frequency, and the dispense quantity.
- Directions should be spelled out in English, rather than using Latin abbreviations, acronyms, or symbols.
- “As directed” is not recommended. The prescription’s directions should be included in writing.
- Metric measures should always be preferred. Deprecated and older units are discouraged as they can lead to confusion.
- PRN or “as needed” should be treated as an incomplete phrase. Always try to include the indication as to when the medication is needed.
- Numbers less than one should always have a leading zero (e.g. 0.5 tablets), and a trailing zero should never be used (i.e. 3 mL rather than 3.0 mL).
- It is recommended that the diagnosis is included on most prescriptions. Please use the discrete fields “Associated Diagnosis” and “Secondary Diagnosis” to ensure this information is properly transmitted to the pharmacy. Do not include this in the sig directions.
- Days Supply is encouraged for most medications. Keep in mind that the days supply is not necessarily the Duration of Therapy. Days Supply indicates the duration the dispensed quantity should last at the frequency of dosing, whereas the Duration of Therapy may be shorter. This is particularly relevant to drugs that come in specific size containers. (e.g. take 10 mL by mouth daily, dispense 300 mL – days supply would be 30, but the prescriber may indicate that the patient is only to take the medication for 12 days.)