Writing prescriptions quickly

A routine follow-up should take well under a minute. These are the habits that get you there.

#The screen

The prescription is on the left and the live print preview on the right. The strip under the patient's name jumps to each section: Vitals, Findings, Diagnosis, Tests, Medicines, Advice, Follow-up. Fill only what you need; empty sections are not printed.

The patient's allergies show in red next to their name. If you type a medicine that matches a recorded allergy (for example amoxicillin for a penicillin allergy), a warning appears above the medicine list.

#Medicines remember themselves

Every medicine you prescribe is remembered with the dose, frequency, timing and duration you used. Next time, type two letters and pick it: the rest fills in. The most-used appear first.

• Frequency uses the familiar 1-0-1 form (morning – afternoon – night). SOS, Stat, weekly and alternate-day doses are in the list too, and you can type anything else.
• ⋯ → Add instruction or route adds a line for the patient, such as Only if fever above 100°F, and the route (topical, inhalation, eye drops and so on).
• The up and down arrows in the same menu reorder medicines.

#Templates for common visits

For a visit you see every day, such as Viral fever — adult, write it once, then Templates → Save this visit as a template. Next time, Templates → Viral fever — adult fills in the diagnosis, medicines, tests and advice. Anything you already typed is kept; the template only adds.

Free accounts can keep three templates; Standard and Pro have no limit. Manage them under Templates in the sidebar.

#Repeat a previous prescription

• On the patient's page, Repeat last starts a new visit with everything from their last signed prescription.
• While writing, the Last visit card shows their previous prescription. Copy medicines brings over just the medicines; Copy all also brings the diagnosis, tests and advice.
• On any signed prescription, ⋯ → Repeat as a new visit does the same from that prescription.

#Drafts are saved as you type

Every change is saved within a second or two ("Saved" shows at the top). A copy is also kept in the browser, so a lost connection or closed tab does not lose your work. Unfinished prescriptions are listed under Prescriptions → Drafts and on the Today page.

#Keyboard shortcuts

On a Mac use ⌘ instead of Ctrl.

#Signing, voiding and deleting

• Sign & print files the prescription: it gets its number and can no longer be edited, which keeps the record trustworthy.
• A signed prescription that was wrong can be voided (⋯ → Void…) with a reason. It stays in the record marked void, and its verification QR then shows void to anyone who scans it.
• An unsigned draft can simply be deleted (⋯ → Delete draft).