Enhanced Verifiable CPD from the
University of Birmingham

Antibiotic prescribing
How to write a prescription


The British National Formulary (BNF) sets out how UK prescriptions should be written. They should

  • Have the full name and address of the patient
  • Have the date the prescription was written
  • Be written in ink
  • Be signed by the prescriber

Do you have to include the patient’s age?


You should avoid decimal points if possible. E.g. write 5 mg, not 5.0 mg. Why?


Why should you write 300mg rather than 0.3g, or .3g ?


With liquids, don’t use microlitres. Always use millilitres (ml, or mL). What’s wrong with .5mL?


Can you say 0.5 mils ?


When using micrograms, is it OK to use μg (as in 200μg) ?


How about 200mcg?


A millilitre (ml) of water is a cubic centimetre. Is it OK to say for example 10cc?


Is it ok to write “Pen V” for Penicillin V?


Can you specify a particular brand of drug? Like Amoxil™ instead of Amoxicillin?


Can the pharmacist substitute a generic drug for the branded one you have prescribed, when there is no difference in the efficacy?


Legally, what can a dentist NOT prescribe, where a doctor can prescribe it?


UK NHS prescribing for dentists

Until new prescribing arrangements are in place for NHS prescriptions, dentists should use form FP10D (GP14 in Scotland, WP10D in Wales) to prescribe only those items listed in the Dental Practitioners’ Formulary.

Do dentists have to let the patient’s medical GP know what they have prescribed?


Do dentists have to indicate on the prescription form if a patient is pregnant? (In the UK there are no prescription charges for pregnant patients.)



Here's an example of a "perfect" NHS prescription, from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).
more…



Official advice from NICE can be viewed on their web site at https://bnf.nice.org.uk/guidance/prescription-writing.html (new window, not part of Dentaljuce site).

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