Handwritting of doctor

Let me start with your middle sentence. When you said that more than 90% doctor's handwriting of my locality... what ? I am shocked baby. Not only your locality. My family docto's handwriting to is the same in nature as that of your's. And I won't call it a shorthand method as one of the fellow mylotters - I didn't see the name well, but that was the first response - said. That is just a way to scribble. And I doubt how the people in medical shop are able to read it and more importantly are able to give the same medicine without erring.

LOL. All doctors are like that. EVEN VETS! I think their handwriting is poor because they are used to writing quickly from years of note taking in college. Maybe it will change when technology is used for the note taking. I also think they write sloppy so no one can copy their writing.

I think all doctors handwriting are the same. I hope our doctor friends here can enlighten us to clear our doubts as why they have the worst handwriting. Doctors handwriting have always been popularly compared during my school days. The teachers would scold the students who have bad handwriting by saying 'your handwriting is worse then the doctors' handwriting'.

Hi Shibham, yes, US doctors are also notorious for their bad handwriting. I think that's not good at all, sense when they write prescriptions and patient orders and such, they hold the very life a person in their hands! How horrible when errors are made due to a drs. unwillingless to slow up a bit and practice good penmanship. Karen

I think there is a purpose for having such a bad handwriting among our doctors. One of the major reasons is for people not to imitate and falcificate their prescription and signature. During consultation, it is a must for the doctor to explain what is written in the prescription pad... the name of the medicine, dosage, how many times it has to be taken/schedule of intake, for how long? and other related information worth discussing with the patient to ensure compliance of the medication. Pharmacist are used to reading such kind of handwriting and even willing to also explain to us what is written in the prescription pad. WE just have to ask and not pressured ourselves to understand what is written in it. I admire you for taking the time to rewrite what's in the prescpription pad... i will not wonder if one of this days you will be challenged to take up medicine hehehehe. Goodluck friend!

yes i agree they need to do better after all you have to put your trust in them with your life and that mean trusting them with the meds but the old doctors write everything in a code writing and there is a lot of them but some md still uses that method.and they all think they our god so they our going to do what they what when they want so if you our a nurses you really have to learn you stuff

Shibham, I understand how you feel. But good for you that you just have to see those handwritings for prescriptions. LOL I am a nurse and have been trying to deal with the handwriting. Imagine, everyday during my duty in the hospital, I have to check the patient's charts for newly updated doctor's order. Haha But I got used to it and eventually got the chance to understand their writings. There are some doctors that write good, but it is very rare. They are very busy persons which are trying to cope up with their schedule. They just tend to scribble letters and words, this is also a way of avoiding fraudulent prescriptions. Anyway, you don't have to worry about this since the pharmacist can clearly understand their writings. :D

I think a doctors handwriting might be more of an universal thing. I know doctors here in the US, at least the majority of them, have lousy handwriting. It's like chicken scratching (my husband's words, not mine LOL). I never understood how anyone could understand what they write, especially when it comes to something as important as prescriptions and surgical procedures. When my youngest was hospitalized back when he was a baby and needed a prescription I was hoping that the pharmacist would be able to understand it as neither my husband or I could make out what it said. We could only hope that they wouldn't get it wrong. I wonder how many screw ups there have been in the medical profession because of a doctors handwriting? They should be required to have good penmanship. I know it is important in grade school. Why should it be any different for doctors? This is when it should count the most. Because we are putting our lives in their hands. Happy mylotting!

It is the same here. I don't understand why the doctor's handwriting is so in a mess and it is too difficult to recognize. However, it seems that only the staff work in the pharmacy can understand it. I think the doctors write so in purpose. Perhaps they don't want their patients to know what they had written down. I love China

Hi Shibham,when I saw your post,I regarded you as a Chinese,cause this case is so universal here in China,the handwrittings of 98% doctors are hard for understanding.I thought this case just existed in China before seeing your post,but now it is interesting to find that doctors around the world have such a habit.I alway wander why handwritings of doctors are so bad,but can't find the answer,some people said it is because of doctors want to keep their treatment formula as secret,the fewer people know the better,but who knows?LOL

Luckily, the doctors my family sees have switched everything over to an automated system. They no longer use handwritten patient files or prescriptions. Everything is done on a computer, so there is no confusion whatsoever as to what the doctor is prescribing. I don't know why they write the way they do. Maybe it's because they are in such of a hurry that they don't want to take the time to write legibly. Or maybe they don't want someone to be able to come along and copy their handwriting. I feel sorry for the pharmacists and pharmacy techs. They have the hard job of decoding the scripts.

Hey shibh, how was your DIPAVLI?

Hi shibh, yaah i agree with you, i don't know why doctor's handwritting is too hard to read, i think lack of their time thay rwite vary fast, for what their handwrittings are vary bad. actually i warried about the pharmacists who has to read it,,,,,, ,,,,GOD & DOCTOR bless him. ha..ha.ha.....

I have not found one doctor that I could read their writing. But I figure as long as the pharmacy knows what the doctor has written then I am okay. I always thought they took a class on how to write badly.

I think it's all doctors worldwide coz the majority of doctors here in Australia are the same I guess that's why they all do the patient records via computer now - including printing out presciptions.

True to the core. Seems like doctors all around the world have a bad handwriting problem hihi. But I still dont understand the psychology behind it. So far I have come up with only one lady doctor(fresh out of medical college)with a very good handwriting. All other doctors have a very poor style in writing. May be they do so to prevent lay men like us from understanding wht they ghave written. Last time I went to a doctor with stomach pain, he was scribbling something onto the prescriptiona nd suddenly he forgot what all he wrote...It seemed he couldnt even understand his own writing, he was taking more time to read and make it out. hi hi Also the people in medicla stores, they are used to reading such manuscripts that they know what is been scribled, or give a wild guess. At worse times, they ask why we consulted doctor so that it gives them the idea of medicines which stand a chance to be prescribed!!! If that doesnt work, they say oh...we do not have that medicne here, we will give you an alternative one which does the smae work, only the name is diffrent. Some people have also asked me to go back to the doctor and clear the doubt!!!

I think its because maybe doctors have to write so many prescriptions for the many patients that they get everyday. So I do think the handwriting helps them to fill out the order faster but it does get really bad and hard to read. I am afraid the pharmacist can't read it and give the wrong medicine.

I'm a nurse and I hate doctor's handwriting. Lol. Gives me headache every time. I doubt if it will change though. I think it's their way of preventing frauds. Also maybe it's their signature or something. I don't really know. But one thing's for sure. Their handwriting sucks big time. lol

not all the doctors are bad handwriting.There are some doctors handwritin is cleared and read very well.If your doctor is like that before you leave the clnic just asked the doctor what he prescribed and then when you go to the pharmacy , you know what is the medicine your going to buy.We have pharmacist they can understand the handwriting of the doctors as well.

yes you are correct, i think they are writing very fastly , and they are remembering so many tablets name ... moreover they couldnt know correct spelling for each one, so they wrote in ill legibly...thats the reason i suppose