The prescription is the piece of paper that leaves the clinic most often, and the one most likely to cause trouble: handwriting the pharmacist cannot read, a dose written in a hurry, a patient who loses the sheet and calls to ask what the medicine was. And the doctor rarely has a copy when the patient comes back a month later.
Going electronic does not mean you stop printing. It means the prescription is written in the software, so it prints clearly and stays on record. This guide covers what actually changes and how to switch without slowing down your consultations. For the software itself, see electronic prescription software for doctors.
The problems with paper
Every doctor knows these from their own clinic:
- Handwriting: the pharmacist guesses, the patient comes back to ask, and sometimes a similarly named medicine is dispensed.
- Missing details: a dose with no duration, or a medicine with no instructions, because time was short.
- No copy at the clinic: when the patient returns, you cannot be sure what you wrote last time unless they bring the sheet.
- Rewriting: the same medicines and doses are written by hand dozens of times a day.
What changes with an electronic prescription
The core difference is that the prescription becomes structured data rather than free text. Each medicine has a name, instructions and a note, and each prescription is tied to the patient's visit and date. As a result:
- the pharmacist reads the medicine name in print;
- the doctor sees all of the patient's previous prescriptions in their record;
- reception can answer "what did the doctor prescribe?" without interrupting a consultation.
Faster writing: your usual medicines and doses
Most doctors worry that typing is slower than a pen. That is true only for the first few days, because the software learns what you write:
- Your medicine library: save the medicines you prescribe often with their default instructions, then add one with its dose in a tap and adjust it if needed.
- Suggestions: as you start typing a medicine name, suggestions are ranked by what you prescribe most, what your clinic prescribes, and what you used recently.
In TabeebHub these suggestions are built from your own and your clinic's usage, as the medicine suggestions page explains. After a week or two, your routine prescriptions are faster than writing them by hand.
Alerts before you sign
The most valuable thing an electronic prescription adds is a moment of review before it leaves. TabeebHub shows alerts for:
- A conflict with an allergy on the patient's record: the prescription cannot be finalised until the doctor reviews it, and continuing requires a clinical reason that is kept on record.
- Known drug interactions between the medicines on the prescription.
- A duplicated medicine on the same prescription: it cannot be finalised until the duplicate is removed or the doctor confirms it is intended and gives a reason.
- A dose outside the usual range, too high or too low.
These alerts support your judgement; they do not replace it. The interaction list covers common, well-known interactions rather than every possible one, so your own review remains the safeguard. Overriding an alert is the doctor's decision, recorded with their name and reason.
Draft first, then final
In clinics with an assistant, the work can be split:
- The assistant prepares the prescription as a draft during or after the consultation.
- The doctor reviews, edits and finalises it.
- Reception prints or shares it, and can view it without editing.
Overriding a safety alert stays with the doctor, even when the assistant wrote the draft.
What the printout shows
A prescription printed from TabeebHub is a clear sheet with:
- A header: the clinic's name, address and phone number, and the doctor's name.
- Visit details: the date, the patient's name and the visit type.
- Medicines: a table with each medicine's name, how to take it, and any note.
- The follow-up date, if you set one.
- A signature line for the doctor at the bottom.
You can also download the prescription as a PDF to send or keep. Long prescriptions repeat the header on every page.
The prescription on the patient's phone
Patients who use the TabeebHub app on Android or iPhone see their prescriptions in the app after the visit. A parent who manages their children on the same phone number sees each child's prescriptions. That saves the clinic a lot of calls and solves the lost-prescription problem.
How to switch from paper
You do not need to change everything in a day. A practical plan:
- Week one: add the twenty medicines you prescribe most to your library, with their usual instructions.
- Record allergies for each patient at their first visit on the system; they drive the most important alert.
- Start with follow-ups: a follow-up prescription usually resembles the last one, which makes it a gentle start.
- Agree with your assistant who drafts and who finalises.
- Test the printout on the clinic's printer before you start with patients.
Electronic prescriptions are included in TabeebHub's permanent free plan.
FAQ
Will electronic prescriptions slow down my consultations?
A little in the first days. Once your usual medicines are saved with their doses and the suggestions learn what you prescribe, a prescription takes seconds and prints without rewriting the same doses every time.
Will pharmacies accept a printed prescription?
The printout carries the clinic's name, address and phone, the doctor's name, the date and the patient's name, plus a signature line. Print and sign it as you would any prescription; the difference is that the pharmacist can read the medicine name without guessing.
Do the alerts replace the doctor's review?
No. They help you catch allergies, known interactions, duplicates and unusual doses, but they do not cover everything, and the final decision is the doctor's.
Can patients see the prescription on their phone?
Yes, if they use the TabeebHub app on Android or iPhone. A parent sees the prescriptions of the children registered on their number.
Who can write prescriptions in the clinic?
Doctors and assistants can write and finalise them, while reception can only view them. Overriding a drug safety alert is the doctor's decision alone.