176 
Renewal  of  Prescriptions. 
<  Am.  Jour.  Fharm. 
t       Apiil,  1907. 
pharmacists  who  promiscuously  renew  prescriptions,  will  readily 
appreciate  the  need  for  the  evolution  of  some  plan  whereby  this 
practice  can  be  controlled  with  evident  fairness  to  all  of  the  parties 
concerned. 
From  a  careful  study  of  my  own  prescription  files  I  have  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  an  ever  increasing  number  of  medical  men  are 
desirous  of  limiting  the  use  of  their  prescriptions  to  the  patient  for 
whom  they  are  written,  and,  if  possible,  to  the  conditions  existing 
at  the  time  the  patient  was  seen. 
This  tendency  on  the  part  of  medical  men  is  perhaps  best  illus- 
trated by  the  ever  increasing  number  and  variety  of  requests  not 
to  refill  prescriptions  that  are  to  be  found,  written  or  printed,  on  the 
files  of  the  average  pharmacy  of  to-day. 
The  printed  requests  particularly  are  increasing  rapidly,  and  I 
may  be  permitted  to  cite  you  just  a  few  of  those  that  have  come 
to  my  attention  recently.  They  are  as  follows:  "  Not  to  be  Re- 
newed." "This  prescription  not  to  be  refilled  unless  so  ordered," 
"  Note  :  This  prescription  is  written  for  the  party  named  above  and 
for  this  time  only.  Do  not  refill  without  my  written  order."  "  Do 
not  renew  or  copy."  "  Not  to  be  renewed  except  upon  orders  in 
writing."  "  This  prescription  must  not  be  renewed  unless  counter, 
signed  by  physician  giving  it,  and  under  renewed  date  !  "  "  This 
prescription  is  intended  for  the  present  indications  only,  and  is  not 
to  be  renewed  without  the  written  consent  of  the  physician." 
Believing  that  any  and  all  injunctions  of  this  kind  should  be 
honored,  so  far  as  possible,  it  has  been  my  custom  to  place  upon  all 
containers  holding  a  compounded,  restricted  prescription  the  fol- 
lowing sticker : — 
Your  physician  directs  that  this  prescription  is  not  to  be  renewed  without  his 
consent. 
In  this  connection  I  would  like  to  call  your  attention  to  the  first 
three  words,  they  place  the  responsibility  where  it  justly  belongs 
and  have  a  wonderful  restraining  influence  over  the  patients,  as  many 
are  afraid  to  have  the  prescription  renewed  knowing  that  their  phy- 
sicians deem  it  best  not  to  do  so. 
To  further  eliminate  the  imperfections  and  the  injustice  to  the 
honest  pharmacists,  of  a  bare  statement  "  Not  to  be  renewed,"  I 
have  devised  a  plan  that  I  believe  to  be  equitable  to  all  of  the  par- 
