Doctor's Handwritten Prescription Goes Viral, Raises Questions On Readability

A handwritten prescription by a doctor from Madhya Pradesh has gained widespread attention online, sparking curiosity and confusion . The prescription, reportedly issued by a doctor from Satna, MP, is so messy that even pharmacists struggled to decipher it. In response, the Chief Medical and Health Officer ( CMHO ) has demanded an explanation from the doctor.

The doctor, who works at Rogi Kalyan Samiti in Satna, reportedly wrote the prescription for Arvind Kumar Sen, a 46-year-old patient suffering from body pain and fever. After being attended to by Dr. Amit Soni at the hospital’s OPD, Sen was given a prescription. However, when he took it to pharmacies, none of them were able to interpret the medications listed.

In the viral image, only two legible elements can be seen – the letters "W and 225," surrounded by erratic scribbles. The prescription is dated September 4, 2024.

Social media quickly reacted to the baffling prescription, with users sharing their thoughts. One user remarked, “The licence of such a doctor should be cancelled.”

Another added, “In India too, prescriptions should be printed like in foreign countries. Why write it by hand? Just type it, print it, and give it to the patient.”

A third comment pointed out, “And who prescribes so many medicines for body pain?”

This incident comes on the heels of an earlier viral meme that poked fun at doctors' notoriously difficult handwriting. The meme, which depicted a blackboard stating "A wise doctor once wrote," followed by indecipherable scribbles, drew many laughs online. A social media user noted, “I showed my Pharmacists this meme and they laughed out loud. The Pharmacist laughed because they agreed and confessed that sometimes they have to call the doctor and ask what medication was written on the prescription.”

Another user humorously commented on the viral meme, saying, “All I see are badly drawn worms. Lol.”