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Medicine vocabulary · Prescriptions and Medication

Prescribe

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/prɪˈskraɪb/verbCore term

In medicine, prescribe means: To officially decide on and write down a medicine or treatment for a patient, so that they can get it from a pharmacy.

In Turkish: reçete etmek, reçeteye yazmak, ilaç yazmak

How it is used

Pattern: prescribe something (for a condition / to a patient). Doctors, and in some countries nurses and pharmacists, can prescribe. The person is the prescriber; prescribing errors are a common topic in hospital safety meetings.

Example sentences

  1. Her GP prescribed antibiotics for a urinary infection.

  2. Check the drug chart before you prescribe anything new.

Common collocations

  • prescribe antibiotics
  • prescribed dose
  • prescribing error
  • prescribe off-label
  • prescriptionA doctor's written or electronic instruction saying which medicine a patient should get, how much, how often and for how long.
  • doseThe amount of a medicine taken or given at one time, for example 500 mg, often stated together with how often it is taken.
  • side effectAn effect of a medicine or treatment that is not the main one intended, and is often unwanted, such as drowsiness or an upset stomach.
  • contraindicationA condition or situation that makes a particular drug, test or procedure unsafe or unsuitable for a patient.
  • analgesicA medicine that relieves pain, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or morphine; patients usually call it a painkiller.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Prescriptions and Medication

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.