A National Academies of Science's Institute of Medicine report has revealed that in excess of 7,000 people are killed each year as a result of poor handwriting by doctors. A further 1.5 million are injured.
The main areas of risk are illegible writing, unclear abbreviations, and vague dosage directions. In response a free, web-based program will be launched to allow doctors to write electronic prescriptions and check for harmful drug interactions.
source:
http://www.time.com