Prescription

pri-SKRIP-shuhn /prɪˈskrɪpʃən/

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What it really means

A doctor's order for medicine, now usually sent electronically to a pharmacy of your choice. You collect the medicine from the pharmacy, not the surgery.

Chinese explanation

处方：医生开的药单，现在通常以电子方式发送到你选择的药店。药要到药店去取，不是在诊所拿。

Example conversation

A: The doctor gave me a prescription. Where do I get the medicine? B: Any pharmacy — it's been sent to the one you nominated.

A：医生给我开了处方，去哪里拿药？ B：任何药店都行——处方已经发到你指定的那家了。

What you could say back

No spoken reply needed for this one.

Related phrases

Pharmacy Prescription charge Repeat prescription

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.

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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake