Hygiene Atlas

Atlas · Plate VIII · Pharmacology and Local Anesthesia · 02

Prescriptions and controlled substances

The DEA sorts controlled drugs into schedules: Schedule I has no accepted medical use, Schedule II (oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl) has high abuse potential, codeine combinations sit in Schedule III, and benzodiazepines and tramadol in Schedule IV. A prescription has a superscription, inscription, subscription and signature. Hygienists in most states cannot prescribe but must read abbreviations such as bid, tid, prn and po.

High-yield facts · 5

  1. DEA Schedule I: no accepted medical use (e.g., heroin). Schedule II: high abuse potential (oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl).S51
  2. Schedule III includes codeine combinations (acetaminophen-codeine); Schedule IV includes benzodiazepines and tramadol.S51
  3. Prescription parts: superscription (Rx), inscription (drug and strength), subscription (amount to dispense), signature/transcription (directions, "Sig").S51
  4. Common abbreviations: bid = twice daily, tid = three times, qid = four times, prn = as needed, po = by mouth, q = every, hs = at bedtime.S51
  5. Dental hygienists in most states cannot prescribe; they must recognize drug effects on care.T2

Facts are written in our own words; each tag links to its source. Values marked "sources vary" differ between references, so check the one your program uses.