🎞️ View video tutorial: Prescribing medications with variable doses

Variable dose prescriptions are used when a patient is to take different doses of the same medication at the same time (concurrently), or in a step-wise manner for an increasing or tapering dose (sequentially).

Concurrent dose prescriptions are used when a patient is to take different doses of the same medication in the same time frame. For example, 2 capsules of Tylenol in the morning, and 1 capsule at night, or 3 tablets of warfarin every other day, and 4 tablets of warfarin on the other days.

Sequential dose prescriptions are used when a patient is to take different doses between days or between weeks, but not necessarily in a patterned manner. For example, If you prescribe prednisone to treat an allergic reaction, you can instruct the patient to take a high dose for several days, and then progressively reduce the dosage over several days.

These types of prescriptions require a dosage line for every change in dosage, and use the and or then functionality in a prescription.

1. Start a prescription (See Creating prescriptions for more information).

2. Search for and select the medication, and add the Dose, Frequency, and Duration of the first dose.

3. To add another dose line, click Add dose.

4. The word then appears between the dose lines. This indicates the doses are sequential.

5. For a concurrent dose prescription, click then and instead select and from the list.

6. Continue adding dose lines as needed to complete the prescription, ensuring you select then or and between the dose lines as appropriate.

💡 Tip: to remove a dose line, click the trash can icon to the right of the line.

7. The Quantity is automatically calculated and takes into account all dose lines. Update this, if necessary.

8. Complete the prescription as normal, including any Additional Instructions needed to further explain the dosing. For example, 1 tablet Mon, Wed, Fri and 2 tablets Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun.

📌Note: If you modify any part of the medication name in the medication search field, a banner appears at the top of the screen indicating the prescription name has changed. Any populated fields are highlighted in yellow. Click Clear to remove the data from the highlighted fields or Keep if the information still applies to the new medication; the selected option is also automatically applied to the Extra tab.

9. Click Save.

10. Complete the prescription by signing and sending it. See Signing prescriptions for more information.

On the final prescription, the dosage lines are separated by either then or and, to indicate to the pharmacist that these are consecutive or concurrent dosages.