Prescription writing goes high tech

Hand-written prescription — The traditional, hand-written prescription is on the way out, as more doctors and clinics use electronic prescription orders.
Image courtesy of Dr. Jon Hallberg

Despite the move to electronic record-keeping at your doctor's office, and an array of high tech diagnostic tools, chances are they're still using 19th century technology for a very important function.

Most prescriptions are still being written with a pad of paper and a pen. And close to three billion are written each year in the U.S.

Electronic prescription — An electronic prescription is typed into a computer and generated on a printer. It's easier to read and to store electronically.
Image courtesy of Dr. Jon Hallberg

Between the Latin abbreviations, the metric measurements, and the handwriting, they can be all but indecipherable.

But more and more, doctors are writing prescriptions electronically. In one state -- New Hampshire -- the governor announced a goal last week of having doctors write all prescriptions electronically by 2008.

Dr. Jon Hallberg, our regular medical analyst, writes his share of prescriptions. He spoke with MPR's Tom Cran about the arcane practice of writing prescriptions, and its high-tech future.

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Prescription writing goes high tech

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