prescrire

Prescrire is a French verb meaning to prescribe or to order a treatment or medication by a physician or other health professional. In medical contexts it refers to the act of authorizing a drug, therapy, or examination for a patient; in everyday language it often appears in the noun prescription (la prescription) or in the synonym ordonnance for the written document.

As a regular -re verb, prescrire forms follow standard patterns in conjugation. Present: je prescris, tu prescris, il prescrit; nous prescrivons; vous prescrivez; ils prescrivent. Passé composé: j'ai prescrit. Imperfect: je prescrivais. Future: je prescrirai. Subjunctive: que je prescrive. Imperative: prescris, prescrivons, prescrivez. The noun form “prescription” in English corresponds to la prescription in French, distinct from ordonnance, which is the written order itself.

Etymology and scope: prescrire derives from Latin praescribere, meaning “to write before.” It principally denotes the act of a clinician determining and authorizing treatment, but can also appear in broader contexts involving rule-setting or legal prescriptions in older or formal uses.

Prescrire (capitalized) is also the name of a French independent medical journal founded in 1971. It provides evaluations of medicines, safety alerts, and clinical guidance. The publication operates as a non-profit, funded by subscriptions and donors, and avoids pharmaceutical advertising. Prescrire is widely cited by clinicians, patients, and policymakers for its critical, evidence-based appraisals intended to support safer and more effective prescribing.