A High Court in India has ruled that doctors must improve their handwriting, warning that unclear prescriptions endanger patients’ lives.
The decision came after Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri, presiding over a case in Punjab and Haryana, examined a medico-legal report he described as “completely incomprehensible.”
The ruling requires doctors to write prescriptions in block letters until a nationwide digital system is introduced.
Additionally, medical schools have been directed to include handwriting lessons in their training. Authorities have set a two-year deadline for the full digitisation of prescriptions across India.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which represents over 330,000 doctors, admitted that illegible handwriting is a persistent challenge, particularly in rural areas where digital systems are scarce.
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While urban hospitals increasingly use electronic prescriptions, handwritten notes remain widespread in less developed regions.
Campaigners have long argued that poor handwriting is not just an inconvenience but a safety hazard.
Unclear prescriptions can lead to serious medical errors, including patients receiving the wrong drugs. Past rulings in India have similarly criticised doctors for “zigzag” and “indecipherable” writing.
Global research echoes these concerns. A landmark US report once linked poor handwriting to 7,000 preventable deaths annually, while the UK has also reported thousands of drug errors caused by misread prescriptions.
Pharmacists in India say they often resort to calling doctors for clarification. Patient advocacy groups welcomed the court’s decision, calling it a critical step in safeguarding public health.
Source: Tuko News.
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