Doctor Handwriting

[shaq786]

Today I encountered a prescription in which the doctor wrote it with his left hand(even though he is right handed), so we had to call his office to verify everything. According to another tech, the tech told me that he writes it that way because he doesnt want anyone else trying to forge his script.

Now could this doctor have very poor knowledge of how pharmacy works or could it be that he knows what he is doing? Maybe someone can help explain his reasoning.

I figured...when the pharmacists and techs recieve scripts, they dont bother to check whether a certain script has consistancy in handwriting. So left hand or not, if the script looks real and theres a correct DEA number on it, it can easily be forged and your unique handwriting style will not save the day. Maybe med schools should have some classes on the pharmacy aspect of how the healthcare system works.

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[longstech]

I figured...when the pharmacists and techs recieve scripts, they dont bother to check whether a certain script has consistancy in handwriting. So left hand or not, if the script looks real and theres a correct DEA number on it, it can easily be forged and your unique handwriting style will not save the day. Maybe med schools should have some classes on the pharmacy aspect of how the healthcare system works.[/QUOTE]

I don't think that's true, if I am familiar with a doctor, I know how he/she writes and could spot a forged Rx (or at least a questionable one) and call the MD. In our pharmacy, if the ink looks different that sends up a red flag (specifically on controls) maybe we're a little anal......

 

[gaba101]

Today I encountered a prescription in which the doctor wrote it with his left hand(even though he is right handed), so we had to call his office to verify everything. According to another tech, the tech told me that he writes it that way because he doesnt want anyone else trying to forge his script.

Now could this doctor have very poor knowledge of how pharmacy works or could it be that he knows what he is doing? Maybe someone can help explain his reasoning.

I figured...when the pharmacists and techs recieve scripts, they dont bother to check whether a certain script has consistancy in handwriting. So left hand or not, if the script looks real and theres a correct DEA number on it, it can easily be forged and your unique handwriting style will not save the day. Maybe med schools should have some classes on the pharmacy aspect of how the healthcare system works.

how do you know the MD wrote it with his L hand? maybe he's just got real bad squiggly penmanship that is the same for both his dominant and weak hand??

 

[Farmercyst]

how do you know the MD wrote it with his L hand? maybe he's just got real bad squiggly penmanship that is the same for both his dominant and weak hand??

Maybe SDN1977 could dispel this as a myth, but I heard UCSF started a class for MDs because the handwriting was so bad it was illegible to most of the hospital staff. (This was told to me by my Pharmacology instructor)

 

[WVUPharm2007]

If you keep calling and annoying them, they will wise up.

 

[shaq786]

I don't think that's true, if I am familiar with a doctor, I know how he/she writes and could spot a forged Rx (or at least a questionable one) and call the MD. In our pharmacy, if the ink looks different that sends up a red flag (specifically on controls) maybe we're a little anal......

Here is a case scenario, I'd like to throw out for all: If doctor A has had a bad reputation of writing Rx's with crappy handwriting he will be well known by the pharmacists and techs. Someone then decides to come in with with a forged script that is typed and properly formated (DEA # and everything). Does the pharmacists assume that the doctor wised up? Or does the pharmacists assume its forged? The problem here is not all pharmacists are willing to call. Its pretty obvious how many pharmacists would rather guess the name of the medication (from the few clues on the rx) rather than call the doc on it (from my experience at SAMs).

Another problem is that many pharmacys have floaters who work in different areas. So they are not familiar with all the doctors in a given area. So it really doesnt do the doctor any good to write with his less dominant hand and can potentially set up his patients for a miss-fill.

how do you know the MD wrote it with his L hand? maybe he's just got real bad squiggly penmanship that is the same for both his dominant and weak hand??

I believe the doctors office staff told the pharmacy tech that he likes to write with his left hand.

If you keep calling and annoying them, they will wise up.

I hope so, but the pharmacists that I work with would rather guess the med first then call rather than the other way around in order to save time. And if they did call, I can only speculate that the doctor's office staff would take the heat rather than the doctor whos busy with his patients.

 

[tussionex]

i knew a physician who was right handed, but had injured the hand and reverted to left handed writing. when his hand recovered, he was stuck with the left hand habit!

 

[pharmboy30]

we have some doc that writes so badly, he will write xxx 2 tablets PO bid - then he will print in parentheses - TWO TABLETS BY MOUTH TWO TIMES A DAY.

why not just write it legibly the first time? still haven't figured that one out.