Medical and Dental Corps Officers

Medical Service Corps optometrists, physician assistants, and podiatrists

Civilian physicians employed by the Navy

Independent duty Hospital Corpsmen
Nurse practitioners (may prescribe when authorized in writing by the commanding officer)

Nurse anesthetists and midwives (may prescribe within the scope of their practice when authorized in writing by the CO or delegated representative)

Prescriptions written by civilian prescribers, other than those employed by the Navy, may be filled for authorized beneficiaries, provided the prescribed item is on the medical facility's formulary (a published listing of medications) and the prescribed quantity is within limitations established by the command.

With the exception of the polyprescription, prescriptions are limited to one item per prescription. The quantity of the drug prescribed should be a reasonable amount needed by the patient. Excessive or unrealistic quantities should not be prescribed. Erasures on prescriptions are prohibited, and interlineations (information inserted between lines of writing) must be initialed.

Figure 6-4.-Polyprescription form.

Finally, persons authorized to prescribe cannot write prescriptions for themselves or members of their immediate families.

FILLING PRESCRIPTIONS
When you receive a prescription for filling, you should follow certain basic steps to make sure that the right patient gets the right medicine in the right amount in the right way. There are no shortcuts-in the pharmacy things are done right or not at all!

Prescription Verification
First of all, satisfy yourself that the prescription you have received is a bonafide one and that the person you have received it from is entitled to have it filled by your pharmacy. You don't need to be tedious about verification. The simplest and best way is to ask for an ID card and verify the expiration date on the ID card.

Study the prescription carefully and make sure that the drug prescribed is reasonable, that its amount or dosage is realistic in consideration of the patient's age, and that the quantity of the medication is practical. A prescription calling for 1,000 tetracycline tablets or a pint of paregoric, for example, warrants further inquiry.

If, in the process of verification, you feel that there is a discrepancy, an ambiguity, or an incompatibility, or for any reason you find it is necessary to consult the yes"> prescriber, never allow the patient to suspect that anything is amiss. You should never fill a prescription you do not completely understand or that you feel is incorrect. What appears to be an overdose may be the desired dose for a specific patient, but the prescriber will appreciate being called for verification.

When you are sure you understand the prescription and are satisfied that it is in all respects correct, you should give its filling your undivided attention. Most mistakes are made when the person filling the prescription is either interrupted while doing so or is trying to accomplish more than one task at a time.

During the process of filling a prescription, the label on the containers used in filling the prescription should be verified at least three times. Initially, the label should be read when the container is taken from the shelf. Then it should be read again when the contents are removed from the container. And finally, the container's label should be read before it is returned to the shelf. By following these three verification steps for each prescription you fill, you will reduce the possibility of making a prescription error.