Which Do You Prefer?

CP: I have seen a variety of ways to type sig codes on bottles. Each pharmacist, and technician for that matter, will have her own preference when it comes to wording and phrasing. The one area on which there is rarely agreement is liquid dosing. 

CPP: I hate liquid dosing sigs, if they're not done my way. 

ME: ME too. 

UT: Everyone is so picky. 

MICE ELF: I'm guessing you have a poll or something?

CP: I took a transfer the other day and really felt uncomfortable reading the directions the pharmacy had typed. 

UT: How were they typed?

CP: "Give seven point five mls . . . "

ME: <shivers>

CPP: Yeah, I don't like that one bit. 

UT: WTAF?

MICE ELF: Had to be Chronic Vaginal Secretions. 

CPP: Yeah, if it's sent that way electronically, they don't take the time to fix it. 

ME: We were taught to translate it from doctor-speak to patient-speak. 

MICE ELF: Dumb it down.  

CP: Assume everyone is stupid. You will never be surprised and you will never be disappointed. 

UT: How do we prefer these written?

CP: "Give 7.5 ml by mouth. . . ". I like the space between the number and the mL. Also, mL can be plural. the added "s" on mls looks weird and is unnecessary. But let's see what else is out there and what everyone else has to say. 

a. 7.5ml

b. 7.5mls

c. 7.5 ml 

d. 7.5 mls

e. seven point five ml 

f. seven point five mls 

g. other?

CPP: Oh, and always remember to use a "0" before the decimal but to omit trailing zeroes. 

CP: I still see .50ml and just know that's a mistake waiting to happen. 

CPP: I was always mystified as to why it was drilled in our heads to never abbreviate "u" for units and to use a leading zero before the decimal but the actual prescribers writing them seem to have not been required to attend that class. 

CP: It was an elective. We know how to write but don't. 

CPP: They write, but don't know how. 

UT: People will blame the e-scripts software. 

CP: They are welcome to do so, but there is still a correct way to write prescriptions and the provider is the one who signs off on it. Much like the Curvy Vivacious Sluts Pharmacists who don't take the time to edit the data on the incoming e-script. 

UT: It happens every day. 

CPP: That's "everyday" if you work for Chocolate Violated Starfish.