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Medicine vocabulary · Prescriptions and Medication

Prescription

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/prɪˈskrɪpʃən/nounCore term

In medicine, prescription means: A doctor's written or electronic instruction saying which medicine a patient should get, how much, how often and for how long.

In Turkish: reçete

How it is used

Doctors write, issue or renew a prescription, and pharmacists dispense it. In US notes it is often written Rx. A 'repeat prescription' (UK) is renewed regularly for long-term medicines.

Example sentences

  1. I'll give you a prescription for a seven-day course of antibiotics.

  2. This medicine is only available on prescription.

Common collocations

  • write a prescription
  • repeat prescription
  • prescription drugs
  • on prescription
  • e-prescription
  • prescribeTo officially decide on and write down a medicine or treatment for a patient, so that they can get it from a pharmacy.
  • doseThe amount of a medicine taken or given at one time, for example 500 mg, often stated together with how often it is taken.
  • over-the-counterDescribes medicines that can be bought from a pharmacy or shop without a doctor's prescription, such as some painkillers and cold remedies.
  • courseA set number of doses of a medicine, or sessions of treatment, given over a fixed period; also the way an illness develops over time.

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.