A patient leaves your OPD with one thing in hand: the prescription. If it says only "Triphala 1 tsp HS", the patient has to remember the rest. With what? For how many days? What should they avoid eating?
An Ayurvedic prescription carries more than a modern one. Besides the medicine and dose, it states when to take it (Kala), with what (Anupana), and what to eat and avoid (Pathya-Apathya). This guide shows how to write each part clearly, with a worked example.
This article is about how to document a prescription. The medicines and doses shown are examples of format only, not treatment advice.
A complete prescription has six parts:
Most gaps appear in parts 4 and 5, so the rest of this guide focuses on them.
Write each medicine in the same order every time. A consistent order makes the prescription easy for the patient to read and for the pharmacy to dispense.
Name and form → dose → frequency → Kala → Anupana → duration
Ayurveda treats the time of administration, Aushadha Sevana Kala, as part of the treatment. The classical texts list these times in detail. For a prescription, what matters is that the patient understands the instruction, so write the Kala in plain words. You can add the classical term for your own records.
| Write on the prescription | Classical term |
|---|---|
| Morning, on an empty stomach | Abhakta |
| Before food | Pragbhakta |
| In the middle of a meal | Madhyabhakta |
| After food | Adhobhakta |
| Mixed with food | Sabhakta |
| Between two meals | Antarabhakta |
| Repeatedly, in small doses | Muhurmuhu |
| At bedtime | Nishi |
"After food" is clearer still when you add the meal: "after lunch and dinner".
Anupana is the vehicle taken with or after the medicine. It helps the patient take the medicine and is chosen to suit the medicine, the condition and the patient. Common Anupana in daily practice include:
Write the Anupana for every medicine, even when it is warm water. Patients often assume any liquid will do, and some will take a Churna with tea or cold water unless told otherwise.
Be specific about quantity where it matters: "with 1 teaspoon of honey" or "with half a cup of warm milk".
Pathya is what supports the treatment. Apathya is what works against it. This section turns a list of medicines into a treatment plan, and it is the part patients most often forget when it is only spoken.
To write advice patients follow:
Here is how the medicine lines and advice look when every part is present. Treat it as a layout to copy, not a treatment to follow.
| Medicine | Dose | When (Kala) | With (Anupana) | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sitopaladi Churna | 3 g, twice a day | After breakfast and dinner | 1 teaspoon honey | 7 |
| 2. Triphala Churna | 3 g, once a day | At bedtime | Warm water | 7 |
Pathya-Apathya (for 7 days):
Follow-up: after 7 days.
Every instruction the patient needs is on the page, and nothing depends on memory.
Before you hand over a prescription, check that it has:
The free Ayurvedic Prescription Pad has a field for each part above: medicine, dose, Kala, Anupana and Pathya advice. Print it or save it as a PDF, with your clinic letterhead.
A printed prescription solves today's visit. At the follow-up you also need what you prescribed last time, how the patient responded, and their history.
The free Ayurvedic Prescription Pad is built for one-off prescriptions. Ayumanager PRO saves each prescription to the patient's case paper, alongside a detailed history taking form, Prakriti Parikshan and Pariksha, and diet and Dincharya advice. Plans start at ₹599 per month, and you can see them on the pricing page.
For Prakriti screening in OPD, try the free Prakriti Calculator.
What should an Ayurvedic prescription include?
An Ayurvedic prescription should include the doctor's name, qualification and registration number, the clinic details, the date, the patient's name, age and gender, and for each medicine its name and form, dose, frequency, Kala (when to take it), Anupana (what to take it with) and duration. It should end with Pathya-Apathya advice, a follow-up date and the doctor's signature.
What is Kala in an Ayurvedic prescription?
Kala, or Aushadha Sevana Kala, is the time of taking a medicine in relation to food and the time of day, for example before food, after food, between meals or at bedtime. Ayurveda treats the timing as part of the prescription because it affects how the medicine acts.
What is Anupana?
Anupana is the vehicle a medicine is taken with, such as warm water, honey, ghee or milk. The same medicine may be given with a different Anupana depending on the condition and the patient, so it should be written for every medicine.
What is the difference between Pathya and Apathya?
Pathya is the diet and lifestyle that supports the treatment. Apathya is what the patient should avoid. A prescription should state both in plain words the patient can follow.
Should I write an Ayurvedic prescription in English or in the patient's language?
Write the instructions in a language the patient can read. Medicine names can stay as they appear on the label, but dose, timing, Anupana and Pathya advice are only useful if the patient understands them.
Is there a free Ayurvedic prescription format I can use?
Yes. Ayumanager PRO's free Ayurvedic Prescription Pad has fields for medicine, dose, Kala, Anupana and Pathya advice, and prints a one-page prescription with your clinic letterhead.
Book a demo and we'll show you how OPD, EMR, Panchakarma, and documentation actually work in the product.
