June 22, 2006 10:39AM 

# “Cursive Is Illegal” 

By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) 

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Evergreen State elementary school teachers, take note: Olympia is moving against some of your more affluent failures.

Everyone knows that doctors’ horrible handwriting causes problems for patients and pharmacists. As of this month, it is [illegal](http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/274707_cursive21.html) for doctors in Washington state to write prescriptions in cursive. (*Will italics be next??*)

The sad thing is that health care markets have become so [calcified](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1930865813/104-8670474-0655123?v=glance&n=283155) that this really, really dumb law might actually enhance efficiency. I just hope we won’t have to wait long before some medicine-socializer argues that this proves that government planning is superior to free-market health care. (Any takers?)

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care), [Regulation](https://www.cato.org/regulatory-studies) 

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