At a time when most people type on keyboards, does handwriting still matter? According to an Indian court, it does—especially for doctors.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that “legible medical prescriptions are a fundamental right of patients,” as unclear writing can mean the difference between life and death, reports the BBC.
Doctors’ handwriting has long been the subject of jokes, with many saying only pharmacists can decipher prescriptions. But this court ruling has brought the issue into sharp focus.
The verdict came during a case unrelated to handwriting—centered on allegations of rape, fraud, and cheating. While hearing the bail plea of the accused, Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri reviewed the complainant’s medico-legal report and found it completely illegible. He wrote, “The report shook the conscience of the court, as not a single word or letter could be read.”
Justice Puri criticized doctors for continuing to write unreadable prescriptions despite the availability of technology. The court directed that handwriting training must be included in medical colleges and that digital prescriptions be made mandatory within two years. Until then, all prescriptions must be written clearly in capital letters.
Dr. Dilip Bansal, president of the Indian Medical Association (which has more than 330,000 members), said they are ready to cooperate. Many doctors in large cities already use digital prescriptions, but in rural and small towns, handwritten prescriptions remain common. He admitted that while some doctors have poor handwriting, the issue often arises from the sheer number of patients they see daily.
This is not the first time Indian courts have raised concerns. Earlier, the Odisha High Court and Allahabad High Court also criticized doctors’ “scribbled” writing styles.
Globally, unclear prescriptions have been linked to tragic consequences. A 1999 report by the U.S. Institute of Medicine estimated at least 44,000 preventable deaths annually due to medical errors, with 7,000 linked directly to illegible handwriting. In the UK, health authorities acknowledged that prescription errors have caused serious harm and deaths, adding that electronic prescriptions could cut such mistakes by half.
Though no official data exists for India, in the world’s most populous country, prescription misunderstandings have often led to medical emergencies and fatalities.
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