Unit6 Prescriptions Grammar: The Future: Will\ Going to Expressing the Future in Time Clauses Using the Present Progressive and Simple Present to Express Future Time Future Progressive Speaking:Giving A Prescription Articles: A Prescription: Understanding Prescriptions Understanding Prescription Vocabulary: Common Latin Rx Terms Key Vocabulary Discussion 1 Discuss with class: 1- What do you know about prescriptions? 2- In your opinion, why do doctors have bad handwriting? 59
Reading BEFORE YOU READ Answer the following questions: 1- What is a prescription? 2- Will you give patients medicine without prescriptions and why? 2Now read the following text: A Prescription Students and teachers can use the following short description of prescriptions in order to expand and check common English usage of terms relating to medical prescriptions, as well as treatments. A prescription is written by a doctor to give patients medicine needed to alleviate symptoms, or stabilize a medical condition that might be chronic in nature. The prescription is written by a physician in order to tell the pharmacist which medication in required. These often include a number of prescription abbreviations. Prescriptions vs. Recommendations Prescriptions are used for medications that a doctor feels is necessary for treatment. These are legal documents that are required in order to receive medicine which is prepared by the pharmacist in a pharmacy. Recommendations, on the other hand, are courses of action that a doctor feels will be helpful for the patient. These could include simple daily tasks such as taking a walk, or eating more fruits and vegetables. Understanding Prescriptions Prescriptions Include: Patient identifier: first and last name of the patient, as well as the date of birth (DOB) Medication (also named "drug"): The medicine that is prescribed Strength: The strong of the medication prescribed (50 mg, 100 mg, etc.) Amount: How often the patient should take the medicine How much: Number of pills, tablets, etc. provided Frequency: How often the patient should take the medicine Route: How the patient should take the medicine (by mouth, topical, sublingual, etc.). Refills: How often the prescription should be renewed Signature: Signature of the physician writing the prescription Date: The day on which the prescription was written 60
BEFORE YOU READ Answer the following questions: 1. What do you know aboutprescriptionabbreviations?name the ones you know. 2. What is the origin of most prescription abbreviations? 3Now read the following text: Understanding Prescription Abbreviations By Carol Eustice Updated January 13, 2016 Centuries ago, all prescriptions were written in Latin. Now, only one section of the prescription (the directions for taking the drug) uses abbreviations derived from Latin. For the average person, who has no medical background, the prescription abbreviations need to be deciphered. Taking the wrong dose of arthritis medication or pain medication can have serious or even fatal consequences. The Origins of Using "Rx" for "Prescription" The origin of "Rx", used as an abbreviation for "prescription", has been attributed to the Latin word "recipe" which means "take". Also, it has been associated with Jupiter, the chief deity of Roman state religion until Christianity became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. The symbol was placed on prescriptions to invoke the deity's blessing on the medicine to help a person get well. More recently, the cross that sometimes appears at the end of the "R" has been explained as a substitute period. The Use of Prescription Abbreviations: An Example An example of what your doctor may write: Sig: I tab poqid pc &hs Unless you have a medical background, our example may be unintelligible. In this example, the prescription abbreviations instruct the pharmacist to, "Label the container for this patient's medication with the following instructions: Take one tablet by mouth 4 times a day, after meals and at bedtime." 61
Common Latin Rx Terms Some of the common latin prescription abbreviations include: ac (ante cibum) means "before meals" bid (bis in die) means "twice a day" gt (gutta) means "drop" hs (horasomni) means "at bedtime" od (oculus dexter) means "right eye" os (oculus sinister) means "left eye" po (per os) means "by mouth" pc (post cibum) means "after meals" prn (pro re nata) means "as needed" q 3 h (quaque 3 hora) means "every 3 hours" qd (quaque die) means "every day" qid (quater in die) means "4 times a day" Sig (signa) means "write" tid (ter in die) means "3 times a day" Use of Abbreviations Is Slowly in Decline While the Latin terms are still commonly seen on prescriptions, some doctors are gradually retiring use of these old terms and better clarifying their drug orders in plain language. Several years ago, since improved readability helps prevent medication mix-ups, it was recommended that prescribers write out instructions rather than use ambiguous abbreviations. For example, prescribers would write "daily" rather than "qd", the abbreviated Latin term for "every day". In this case, "qd" could easily be misinterpreted as "qid" (which means 4 times a day) or "od" (which means right eye). And now, there is e-prescribing (electronic prescribing) which adds another level of improvement to the clarity of prescribing medications. E-prescribing improves patient safety by eliminating illegible prescriptions, reducing the need for oral communications which can result in miscommunications, warning and alert systems at the point of prescribing, and allowing the prescriber to view a patient's medication history. The Bottom Line If you are still issued a written prescription and the directions are unclear or confusing, please ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain. Do not take your medication without fully understanding the prescribing instructions. Take no chances. With e-prescribing, you may not see the directions until they appear on a pill bottle label. At that point, it is your responsibility to ask your pharmacist any questions you have or to verbally review the directions. Take the necessary time so that you can feel certain about how you are to take the prescribed drug. Do your part to avoid medication errors. 62
AFTER YOU READ Answer the following questions: 1. What does it take to use prescription abbreviations? 2. What are the most common abbreviations used in dentistry? 3. What is e-prescribing and do you believe it can be accurate? Speaking 4Practice this conversation with your partner, then switch roles. Dialogue: Giving A Prescription Patient: what about the problems I've been having sleeping? Doctor: I'm going to give you a prescription for some medicine to help you get a better night's sleep. Patient: Thank you doctor. Doctor: Here, you can get this prescription at any pharmacy. Patient: How often should I take the medicine? Doctor: Just take one pill about 30 minutes before you go to bed. Patient: How long should I take them? Doctor: The prescription is for thirty days. If you're not sleeping well after thirty days, I'd like you to come back in. Patient: Is there anything else I can do to help me sleep at night? Doctor: Don't worry so much about things at work. I know, I know... easier said than done. Patient: Should I stay home from work? Doctor: No, I don't think that's necessary. Just remember to stay calm. 5 Practice with your classmate and Write a similar conversation in your own words 63
Vocabulary 6Guess and match the meaning of the following words with their meanings: a. ( ) to take a pill b. ( ) to stay calm c. ( ) chronic d. ( ) topical e. ( ) to stabilize f. ( ) to alleviate g. ( )drug h. ( ) easier said than done i. ( )sublingual j. ( ) prescription k. ( ) to refill 1. to be relaxed 2. placed on the skin 3. to take medicine by mouth 4. idiomatic term used to refer to medicine 5. to make regular 6. not easy to do 7. illness, sickness, disease 8. recurring, happening again and again 9. order from a doctor for medicine 10. to provide medicine again based on a prescription 11. information that identifies a patient 12. to make easier, to relieve 13. under the tongue 14. to sleep enough to feel rested l. ( ) medical condition m. ( )patient identifier 64
Grammar 65
7 Answer the following exercises about the simple future: 66
67
8 Answer the following exercises about the future: 68
69
70
Writing 9 71