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Are "write out a prescription" and "make out a prescription" used more or less interchangeably?

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3 Answers

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Yes.

"Write out" carries more of a connotation of the physical act of marking a scrip sheet, whereas "make out" gestures a bit more toward the possibly metaphysical act of bestowing the prescription itself.

(I would say that's a slim enough shade of difference to be considered 'interchangeable')

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I wouldn't even go as far as to say that there is a difference. In all cases, you have to "write out" the prescription in order to "make out" the prescription. – Daniel δ Jul 11 '11 at 12:09
I dunno, don't they have digital prescriptions in some civilized countries? – buildsucceeded Jul 11 '11 at 12:13
Even there, the difference isn't between physically"marking" and metaphysically "bestowing". – Daniel δ Jul 11 '11 at 12:15
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Yes, they are, though "write out a prescription" is more common, as evidenced by a Google search and an Ngram graph.

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Thanks. Your answer is to the point and helpful. – One Step Jul 11 '11 at 21:53
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Yes, although be careful - "make up a prescription" would be to supply the drugs listed on it.

Once upon a time it would be to actually make up, i.e. produce, the medicine required in the pharmacy - now of course it's just to sell the correct boxes of pills.

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+1, but there are still "compounding pharmacies" that will actually produce the medicine in proper form or mixture. Your average Walgreens, CVS or Rite-Aid, however, do much as you describe; they count out the prescribed number of the correct pill into a bottle and hand it to you. – KeithS Jul 12 '11 at 15:49

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