Is the pharmacy a place to read illegible handwriting?
The British National Formulary has stated correctly and clearly that a prescription should be legible. If we discard the above statement on grounds we are not British, we will have to discard all their other rules as well when prescribing drugs. Some people adopt or discard these rules based on personal benefits instead of doing so for the benefit of the country and the patients. Several patients are known to have died or suffered from side-affects because of illegible writing on prescriptions.
Most doctors write illegibly and it is not the pharmacist’s job to read illegible writing. If a doctor’s handwriting is illegible, how can he pass examinations?
The pharmacy is the place where the drugs are stored and sold. When any person comes seeking a job in a pharmacy, the owner asks whether he can read prescriptions, meaning whether he or she can read illegible writing, if not, he must learn to do so within a short period or otherwise will lose the job.the owner rarely checks an applicant’s knowledge about medicine. Some doctors do not consider the welfare of the patient. They only want money. If the applicant is able to read illegible writing the proprietor is satisfied and recruits him or her. Most of the people working in pharmacies can read prescriptions but do not know the correct definition of the word ‘pharmacy’ or details of drugs such as indications, contraindications, side-effects of medicines, etc.
Actually some people who are not registered as even an apprentice pharmacist but are able to read illegible prescriptions, have secured jobs in pharmacies leaving out more qualified pharmacists who are unable to read the illegible handwriting on prescriptions.
Sometimes a person who does not have the proper educational equalifications may be able to read illegible writing but a pharmacist who possesses a Diploma in Pharmaceuticals maybe unable to do so. I n such cases is the Diploma holder at fault? No. It is not. This irresponsible and illegible writing style is confined to Sri Lanka only. It is not the sign of a country which is heading towards development.
SENAKA HETTIGODA REGISTERED PHARMACIST GALLE
The owner rarely checks an applicant’s knowledge about medicine