Cursive declared illegal in WA

[bananaface]

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In Washington State, as of 6/7/06 all Rxs written in cursive are to be treated as illegible under state law. Practitioners (both prescribing and recieving) are required to either print the script out in block letters or to generate typed text. Sig codes are still acceptable.

I wonder if this law will last.

 

[sdn1977]

Sounds like pharmacists in WA are going to be spending time rewriting the rx in block letters...can you do it on the same rx or do you have to recopy onto a different one?

Can you still write cursive yourself when you take a phone rx?

A good thought, but perhaps a hasty one & not one which will endear you to prescribers.

 

[i.<3.pharmacy]

!!!!!!

That would happen in Washington.

 

[Darvocet]

maybe this will spread to other states

 

[sdn1977]

maybe this will spread to other states

Hopefully not!

 

[Shizelbs]

I'm quite the rebel. I just filled a script that was entirely in cursive. Take that state board.

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

In Washington State, as of 6/7/06 all Rxs written in cursive are to be treated as illegible under state law. Practitioners (both prescribing and recieving) are required to either print the script out in block letters or to generate typed text. Sig codes are still acceptable.

I wonder if this law will last.

hmmm...such a double standard. I'd take legible cursive over chickenscratch any day.

 

[JMH5145]

All prescriptions should be typed and faxed directly to the pharmacy of choice. One of the hospital systems does it and it's great! That would solve some (but not nearly all) of my problems at CVS these days.

 

[bananaface]

Sounds like pharmacists in WA are going to be spending time rewriting the rx in block letters...can you do it on the same rx or do you have to recopy onto a different one?

Can you still write cursive yourself when you take a phone rx?

A good thought, but perhaps a hasty one & not one which will endear you to prescribers.

We can re-write the Rx on either the original pad or a new order sheet after it is verified via phone or fax. Pharmacists are supposed to use block letters when taking phone orders too. It's nothing we instigated. This bill came out of the state house of representatives.

Most offices got the press release from the state, so there have been very few problems. The ones we have had to call have been glad to find out as soon as they could, because it saved them from a bigger mess down the road.

Ironically, one local physician's printing is borderline illegible but his cursive was no problem. He has trouble writing d's. Ouch.