Handwriting So Bad, Jharkhand Govt Had To Ask Doctors To Write Prescriptions In Capital Letters

Doctor's handwriting has long been a riddle for patients which is usually solved by the ever-harried pharmacist.

By: Rakesh Jha |
September 26, 2018 12:46 pm

Walking out of a clinic, poring over the prescription, trying to make sense of the doctor’s handwriting.

Most of us have been through this.

Doctor’s handwriting has long been a riddle for patients which is usually solved by the ever-harried pharmacist.

Well, people of Jharkhand have been spared this struggle, thanks to the state government which has made it mandatory for doctors to write prescriptions for patients in bold letters.

A state governmrnt notification issued last Friday directed doctors to ensure prescriptions are written in clear, capital letters and prescribe rational drugs only, Hindustan Times reported.

The state government has mandated doctors of all government hospitals and private nursing homes to follow the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, which seeks to mention generic name of drugs apart from writing prescriptions in capital letters only, it said.

The directive has been met with mixed response from medical community as some have expressed apprehension that it may further create problems for patients.

“A long line of patients appears at most hospitals and health centres. If a doctor writes in capital letters, one prescription would take a minimum of 10-15 minutes. Thus, several patients would have to return without prescriptions,” IMA state president Dr AK Singh told Hindustan Times.