Most doctors have bad handwriting. Do they do that on purpose?
By karagala
@karagala (447)
Philippines
July 28, 2008 11:51pm CST
You come into the clinic and then the doctor scribbles things into that notepad that has a letter "R" on the side. It should have been letter "P" for prescription but its an "R" and I don't even know what it means.
Most doctors that I have consulted to have bad handwriting. Do they do that on purpose so that patients cannot know what sorts of ingredients they are taking into their bodies? What surprises me is that when you hand the prescription to the druggist, the druggist actually understands what the doctors have been writing. Is there also some sort of lesson that druggists take back in the university that enables them to understand the handwritings of doctors?
2 people like this
5 responses
@AnneAtFibroFix (41)
• United States
30 Jul 08
It's in Latin, so most folks, except docs and pharms, can't read it.
My doc has all his come out of the computer, nicely typed. It saves any mixups.
@youless (112496)
• Guangzhou, China
7 Aug 08
I think so. I don't know why the doctors will have so ugly handwritings and it's so hard to identify the words. That's so bad that I don't know what my doctor wrote down. And I always wonder whether another doctor can recognize these words.
I love China
@se7enthbird (8307)
• Philippines
29 Jul 08
well before i was thinking the same way. but when my child was born her pediatrician has broke all those rules har har har. our pedia has a good and readable hand writting it is easy to read and easy to understand as well. but most of the doctors me and my wife experience has bad hand writtings. maybe because they are all tired of writting during those days that they are still studying har har har
@bmorehouse1 (1028)
• United States
29 Jul 08
I have often wondered the same thing. How do the pharmacists know what the prescription says or do they actually have to call the doctors office to see what it is? How do they know that is the actual doctors signature? So many questions and no answers I'm afraid.
@greenglitterturtle (2750)
• United States
29 Jul 08
i don't think it is anything intentional by the doctors. many people have bad handwriting and the busier the person is the faster and sloppier they write. celebrities autographs are often a scribble. the pharmacists know the ingredients and are so familiar with them that they can make it out. and they may have seen the doctors handwriting enough to that they can interpret their writing.
