Question

A prescription reads: Amoxicillin suspension 5 ml PO tid for 10 days. You immediately notice that the prescriber did NOT indicate the concentration of the suspension on the prescription. What should you do?

1) Dispense the capsule instead
2) Alert the pharmacist to the problem
3) Ask the patient which concentration he/she prefers

Answer 1

When a prescription lacks the concentration of Amoxicillin suspension, the correct protocol is to alert the pharmacist who should contact the prescriber to obtain the necessary information before dispensing the medication.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a prescription for Amoxicillin suspension is missing the concentration, it is critical to ensure the correct dosage is given to prevent under-dosing or overdosing, which could either be ineffective or cause harm. In this case, the correct action would be to alert the pharmacist to the problem. The pharmacist or the dispensing technician should then contact the prescriber to clarify the correct concentration before proceeding. It is not appropriate to dispense the capsule form or to ask the patient which concentration they prefer because this could lead to improper treatment and potential health risks.