> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ndumed.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Prescribe medications and handle allergy alerts

> Write prescriptions on an NduMed encounter with dose, route, frequency and duration, and understand the severe-allergy check and how to override it safely.

Doctors write prescriptions in the **Prescriptions** panel of an open encounter. The pharmacy then sees them in its dispensing queue. NduMed checks every new prescription against the patient's recorded severe allergies.

## Prescribe a medication

**1. Open the encounter**

The encounter must not be closed.

**2. Fill in Prescribe a medication**

* **Drug**: the medication name, typed as free text.
* **Dose**: for example "500 mg".
* **Route**: Oral, IV, IM, Subcutaneous, Topical, Inhaled, Rectal, Sublingual, Ophthalmic, Nasal or Other.
* **Frequency**: for example "three times daily".
* **Duration** and **Unit**: days, weeks or months.

**3. Save**

The prescription appears on the encounter and in the pharmacy's dispensing queue as **Not yet dispensed**.

> [!TIP]
>
> Type the drug name as the pharmacy knows it (generic name and strength). The pharmacist matches it to a drug in the formulary when dispensing.

## Severe-allergy check

NduMed compares the drug name you type with the patient's allergies recorded as **Severe**. If they match, the prescription is stopped and you are warned.

If you have reviewed the risk and still need to prescribe:

1. Select **Prescribe with override**.
2. Enter the reason for the override.
3. Save. The prescription carries an **Allergy override** badge, and the pharmacist sees your reason when dispensing.

> [!WARNING]
>
> The check matches text. It catches "Penicillin" against a recorded "Penicillin" allergy, but it cannot know that a brand name or a related drug belongs to the same class. Always review the patient's allergies yourself; they are shown in the **Severe allergies** banner on the patient record.

## Remove a prescription

Select **Remove prescription** to take a prescription off the encounter while the encounter is open.

## Dispensing status

| Status | Meaning |
| - | - |
| Not yet dispensed | Waiting in the pharmacy queue |
| Partially dispensed | Some quantity has been issued |
| Dispensed | Complete |

See [Dispensing](https://docs.ndumed.co/pharmacy/dispensing.md) for the pharmacy side.


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