Which term describes directions to the pharmacist for mixing the medication; this is seldom done by the pharmacist anymore.

• A. Subscription
• B. Signature
• C. Systemic
• D. Chronologic

Answer: (A)

In a traditional written prescription, the part that tells the pharmacist how to prepare and how much to dispense is the subscription. It provides the compounding or dispensing instructions, such as how many units to prepare or the specific preparation steps. Because most prescriptions today are for commercially manufactured products, this directive to mix or prepare medications is used less often, which is why you might see it described as seldom done by the pharmacist anymore. The other terms don’t fit: the signature is the directions given to the patient, while systemic and chronologic aren’t prescription components.