Talking with the patient

How to write a prescription

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPA
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Prescribing errors are common and preventable. A complete, clear prescription protects the patient.

Step by step

  1. Check the patient

    Use two identifiers and check allergies, weight, kidney function and other medicines. [1]

  2. Name the drug clearly

    Use the generic name and spell it out in full. [2]

  3. Give dose, route and frequency

    Use a leading zero (0.5 mg) and no trailing zero (5 mg, not 5.0 mg). Avoid unsafe abbreviations such as QD. [1]

  4. Add quantity and refills

    State the amount to dispense and the number of refills. [2]

  5. Write plain instructions

    For example: Take 1 tablet by mouth twice a day for blood pressure. Include the reason. [3]

  6. Follow controlled drug rules

    Follow federal and state rules and check the prescription drug monitoring program. [2]

  7. Sign and counsel

    Sign and date it, then explain the medicine to the patient. [4]

Common errors

Practice it in VMS

In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

VMS cases that train this skill

21 VMS cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals
  2. Open RN, Nursing Pharmacology 2e (CC BY 4.0)
  3. AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (Teach-Back)
  4. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)

Facts and steps follow AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs); AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (Teach-Back). VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.