The Elusive Syrup

Doctors are notorious for their bad handwriting, sometimes leading to misinterpretation of their orders and prescription. Dr. Dev (Fictional name) has once seen a patient of pain abdomen and written a prescription for it. The patient went to a nearby chemist shop to buy the medicines.

Shortly afterwards, Dr. Dev received a phone call from the chemist (pharmacist). ‘Sir’, said the chemist, ‘I am not having a syrup written by you in your prescription, and I am not able to find it at any of the nearby medical shops.’ ‘Kindly tell me the manufacturer’s name so that I can order it from there and give it to the patient.’

Dr. Dev enquired about the patient’s name. On hearing it, Dr. Dev was surprised as he had not written any syrup in his prescription.  He asked the chemist to tell the syrup’s name.

‘It is syrup Alcohol’, replied the chemist.

Dr. Dev was amazed as he had not prescribed alcohol to the patient. He had rather written, Stop Alcohol, as the patient was having pain abdomen (stomach) related to his habit of drinking alcoholic drinks. Due to handwritten prescription and preconditioned mentality the chemist had read the word ‘stop’ as ‘syp’ short form for syrup, and was searching in vain for ‘Syrup Alcohol’.

Unclear or illegible handwriting can lead to serious problems, than the funny situation here. Thankfully many doctors and hospitals are shifting to computerized typed and printed prescriptions and orders avoiding this problem. In the meanwhile doctors should try to write as clearly as possible as he may be held responsible for any wrong medicines supplied to patients if his handwriting is not clear.

(Based on true incident)

— NKD

© Author. All rights reserved. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 


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