℞

Rx, often abbreviated as ℞ or Rx, is a formal prescription written by a physician or another registered healthcare professional authorizing a pharmacist to dispense a specific prescription drug for a specific patient. Historically, it represented a physician's instruction to an apothecary, listing the materials to be compounded into a treatment.

The symbol ℞ (a capital letter R, crossed to indicate abbreviation) originates from the first word of a medieval prescription, the Latin term recipe (lit. "take thou"), which introduced the list of materials to be compounded.

Historical Context

• Prescriptions have been an integral part of medical practice since antiquity, with roots in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman medicine.
• The use of recipe in prescriptions evolved during the Middle Ages and was standardized in Latin texts by European apothecaries.

Modern Usage

Today, the term Rx broadly represents:

• The act of prescribing medication.
• The documentation associated with a pharmaceutical prescription.
• A shorthand symbol commonly used in healthcare and pharmacy settings.

See Also

• Pharmacy
• Prescription drug
• Healthcare
• Medication

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