Guidance on How to Write the Latest Traditional Medicine and Herbal Medicine Prescriptions

writing prescriptions for traditional medicine, herbal medicine, combining traditional medicine, herbal medicine with chemical medicine in inpatient treatment, day inpatient treatment, and outpatient treatment at medical examination and treatment establishments is fully guided at Article 9 Circular 44/2018/TT-BYT, as follows:

Illustration (source: Internet)

General regulations on writing prescriptions:

- The name of the drug is written in Vietnamese language, accurately, clearly, and fully according to the fields printed in the prescription, the patient's examination book, and the treatment records in the medical record;- Accurately write the address where the patient is residing or temporarily residing;- For children under 72 months old, the number of months must be written and the father’s or mother’s name of the child added;- Cross out the blank space from below the prescription content to above the signature of the prescriber; sign and clearly state the full name of the prescriber.

Detailed instructions on writing prescriptions for traditional medicine, herbal medicine:

- When prescribing decoction medicine, write the commonly used name, clearly state the dosage, unit of measurement, do not abbreviate the name of the medicinal herbs in traditional medicine; Specifically guide the method of decocting the medicine, the way of taking the medicine, and the time to take the medicine;- Clearly indicate the dosage, manners of use, and route of administration:- For finished products manufactured by the medical examination and treatment establishment itself, write according to the name approved for internal circulation by the Department of Health or the Ministry of Health (except for units managed by the Ministry of National Defense); For drugs circulated nationwide, write the drug name according to the name approved by the Ministry of Health for registration circulation;- In case the prescriber prescribes the patient to use an overdose compared to the professional procedures of the Ministry of Health or the treatment guidelines, they must sign to confirm alongside.

About the order of writing prescriptions in the prescription and medical record:

- Order of writing traditional medicine, herbal medicine prescriptions: Decoction medicine, finished products. For finished products, write in the following order: pills, liquid medicine, che-medicine, powder medicine, extract medicine, and other forms of medicine;- Order of writing combination prescriptions: Write chemical medicine first, traditional medicine, and herbal medicine afterward.

See the full regulations at Circular 44/2018/TT-BYT which took effect from March 1, 2019.

Thu Ba

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