Is it illegal for a doctor to use abbreviations on a Texas prescription label?
A: It is not currently illegal to use dosage abbreviations, but doing so can still have legal repercussions. It is a doctor's responsibility to write prescriptions that both medical professionals and patients can easily understand. Using abbreviations only benefits the doctor and can lead to dangerous dosage mistakes for the patient.
The following abbreviations have been disallowed by the Joint Commission due to their tendency to cause wrong dosage mistakes:
IU (international unit), often mistaken for "IV" or "10"
MgSO4 (magnesium sulfate), could be confused with "MSO4" (morphine sulfate)
q.d. (every day) and q.o.d. (every other day)
U (unit), possible confusion with "0," "cc" or other numbers
While these abbreviations are on the official Do-Not-Use list in the United States, they are by no means the only abbreviations that cause dosage errors in Houston. As experienced Texas pharmacy error lawyers, we have helped countless patients who were injured by simply following their doctor's orders.
If your doctor used a Latin abbreviation on your prescription label that led to an overdose, you may be able to hold him responsible for your pharmaceutical injury. To find out more, order our free book, How to Make Pharmacies Pay for your Injuries Caused by Medication Errors, or call Kennedy Hodges at 888-526-7616 for a free consultation.
