The move by the Union Health Ministry to come out with a gazette notification on legible medical prescriptions (“ >Doctors’ prescriptions to be in capital letters soon ”, June 12) is a progressive thought as there are many cases where medical shops have delivered wrong medicines/dosages based on illegible writing. I also feel a prescription should be computer-generated and should have details of the illness, etc. Recently, while buying a medicine prescribed by the doctor at a pharmacy, instead of 500 mg tablets of 10, I was given 6 tablets of 250 mg and 4 of 500 mg while also billed for the rate of 500 mg. I feel that there must be regular inspections of medical shops.
N. Mahadevan,
Chennai
I was reminded of a joke where a teacher once told his class that all students who wrote illegibly would become doctors in the future. When many application forms follow the requirement and procedure of information being given in capital letters, why not the same for the vital and life-saving subject of medicine? Saving a life is possible only with the right medicine, the right frame of mind and the right handwriting!
A.J. Rangarajan,
Chennai
This can do a lot of good to patients as well as pharmacists. But with the present draft notification, there is absolutely no penalty for violations. Therefore, most doctors are likely to continue to do what they have been doing till now -- scribble. A penalty for violations must be considered by the authorities.
J. Eden Alexander,
Thanjavur
