Legibility of hand-written prescriptions and drug-orders: the writing on the wall.

While the degree of legibility of prescriptions varies widely, it remains a concern because a single incorrectly read prescription can have severe consequences. Various measures exist to possibly minimize illegible prescriptions and while none alone is probably sufficient, combining is likely to yield great results. One is the sensitization and education of physicians and physicians-in-training. Another option is audits and a third and very potent option is the use of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system which will help improve patient safety by reducing errors due to inappropriately read prescriptions.