superscription

Superscription is a term used in the context of traditional prescriptions, referring to the heading at the top of a prescription document that identifies the patient and, in some traditions, the prescriber and the date. In historical pharmacy, prescriptions are described as having four parts: superscription, inscription, subscription, and signature. The superscription typically lists the patient’s full name, address, age or gender, and the date of writing. In some jurisdictions it may also include the prescriber’s name and contact information, while in others these details appear in a separate section.

Purpose and content: The superscription serves to clearly identify the recipient of the medication and to anchor the prescription to a specific time and person. It distinguishes the order from the medication details that follow in the inscription. The inscription contains the medicines to be dispensed (drug names, strengths, dosage form). The subscription provides instructions to the pharmacist on quantity and preparation, and the signature conveys the directions for the patient’s use.

Historical and modern usage: The term is most commonly encountered in historical pharmacology texts and in some regulatory or legacy contexts. With the rise of electronic prescribing, the explicit four-part structure is less conspicuous to practitioners, but the same information—patient identity and date, along with prescriber details when applicable—continues to appear at the top of the order in digital formats.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin super-, meaning above, and scribere, meaning to write.