prescription
noun
What prescription means
A doctor’s written instruction that lets you get a particular medicine from a pharmacy.
The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics.
You can’t buy this medicine without a prescription.
Test yourself
Five questions about prescription
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Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does prescription mean?
A prescription is a note from your doctor that says which medicine you need, and you show it at the chemist’s to get that medicine.
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Question 2 of 5Situation
Your doctor writes the name of a medicine on a form, and you take the form to the chemist’s. The form is a…
The doctor’s written order for a medicine is a prescription. A diagnosis names your illness, a subscription is for magazines or apps, and you get a receipt after you pay.
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Question 3 of 5Gap
I took the ___ to the chemist’s and picked up my tablets an hour later.
You hand a prescription to the pharmacist, who then gives you the medicine written on it. You cannot hand over a diagnosis or a symptom.
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Question 4 of 5Word partner
Which verb goes with prescription? “The doctor ___ a prescription for antibiotics.”
A prescription is a written instruction, so doctors write it. In English we do not say make, do or tell a prescription.
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Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses prescription correctly?
You get a prescription for an illness, and the noun needs a in front of it. Prescription is not a verb (the verb is prescribe), and against is the wrong preposition.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Prescription in a sentence
5 more examples of prescription in everyday situations.
- At the pharmacy
My prescription will be ready to pick up after four this afternoon.
- A message
Can you grab my prescription on your way home? It’s already paid for.
- Travel
Carry your prescription with you in case anyone asks about your pills at the airport.
- In the news
Prescription drug prices rose again this year, according to a new report.
- Eye doctor
I need a new prescription because my glasses don’t feel right anymore.
How to use prescription
The doctor prescribes (verb) the medicine and writes a prescription (noun). You take it to a pharmacy, called a chemist’s in British English and a drugstore in American English.
Medicine you can buy without a prescription is sold over the counter. Prescription glasses are glasses made for your eyes.
Forms
- prescriptionsplural
- prescribeverb
- prescribedpast of the verb
Patterns
- a prescription for something
- fill / pick up a prescription
- available by prescription only
- prescription drugs / glasses
Common mistakes with prescription
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NotThe doctor prescriptioned me antibiotics.
SayThe doctor prescribed me antibiotics.
Prescription is the noun. The verb is prescribe.
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NotI need to renew my subscription for my medicine.
SayI need to renew my prescription.
A subscription is for magazines and apps. Medicine needs a prescription.
Prescription or recipe or prescribe?
- prescription or recipe
- A recipe tells you how to cook a dish; a prescription is a doctor’s order for medicine. Some languages use one word for both, but English keeps them separate.
- prescription or prescribe
- Prescription is the noun for the doctor’s order; prescribe is the verb for what the doctor does. The doctor prescribes a medicine and gives you a prescription.
Prescription is a B2 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Prescription word family and collocations
The words that go with prescription, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- a prescription for
- write a prescription
- pick up a prescription
- repeat prescription
- prescription glasses
Word family
- prescribe (verb)
- prescription (noun)
- prescribed (adjective)
Opposites
- over the counter
Questions about prescription
What does fill a prescription mean?
In American English, to fill a prescription means that a pharmacist prepares the medicine your doctor ordered and gives it to you. British speakers more often say get or collect a prescription.
Is it on prescription or by prescription?
Both are used. By prescription is more common in American English, as in “available by prescription only”. On prescription is more common in British English, as in “You can get it on prescription”.
What is a prescription drug?
A prescription drug is a medicine you can only get with a doctor’s prescription. Medicine you can buy freely in a store is called over-the-counter medicine.
The word before
Do you still remember glitch?
One question about the word from 16 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
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What does glitch mean?
A glitch is a little problem that makes a device or an app go wrong for a moment, for example a call that freezes for two seconds and then works again.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More health words
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C1
shiver
To shake slightly because you are cold, ill or afraid. -
C1
fracture
A break or crack in a bone. -
B2
treatment
Medical care given to a person to cure an illness or reduce pain. -
C1
chronic
Lasting for a long time or happening again and again, usually describing an illness. -
C1
therapy
Treatment for a physical or mental problem, often involving regular sessions with a trained professional. -
B2
fever
A body temperature that is higher than normal, usually because of an infection.