Why do doctors scribble prescriptions instead of writing them neatly?

Answer 1

its like a code, ever notice how waitresses and waiters write, OJ=Orange juice, except drs are medical code, Prescription: PRN, Once a day for four days take the pill, 1XD=4, its easier and takes less time to wrtie and read. Or when you go on MSN, you talk short code, such as to, or 2, With or W/

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I'll weigh in here with a slightly different slant on the problem. In med school we had to take notes at lightening speed, and our penmanship deteriorated. When I first went into practice several pharmacists called to say they couldn't read my prescriptions. My solution was to imagine that as I wrote a new prescription, Sister Mary Blandina was standing over my shoulder, ruler in hand. That helped. Nowadays, offices equipped with Electronic Medical Record software spit out printed prescriptions at the touch of a keystroke or two.

Answer 4

Too busy to write neatly. Have you waited long enough int the waiting room?

Answer 5

Doctors spend so much time in school learning things that sometimes they forget the basics like how to write.

Answer 6

They take a course in med-school called scibblemeds 101.
lol
That's a really good question.

I seriously believe they do that so that it can be harder for non-medical people to read so that they can not make up fake prescriptions for drugs.

Answer 7

I'm a medical doctor and I write my prescriptions very clearly. I think it is something personal and you can not generalise it for all doctors.

Answer 8

They write that way from soo many years of studying. The funny thing is that they understand each others handwrittings.

Answer 9

I heard that It was because when they went to college, they had to write notes so fast that their hand writing became unintelligible, and the habit is still with them now.

Answer 10

Its a doctor thing it has been done for along time. I am surprised they haven't fooled the pharmacists!