|
Partial List of Prescription Abbreviations
This is a list of some abbreviations used in prescriptions. Its listing here
does not mean such abbreviations should be used. See main article for discussion
on the use of abbreviations. This listing does not include abbreviations for
actual pharmaceuticals. Capitalization and the use of a period is a matter of
style. In the attached list, Latin is not capitalized whereas English acronyms
are. The period is used wherever there are letters omitted in the abbreviation.
Partial list of prescription abbreviations
| Abbreviation |
Latin |
Meaning |
| aa |
ana |
of each |
| ad |
to |
up to |
| a.c. |
ante cibum |
before meals |
| a.d. |
aurio dextra |
right ear |
| ad lib. |
ad libitum |
use as much as one desires; freely |
| admov. |
admove |
apply |
| agit |
agita |
stir/shake |
| alt. h. |
alternis horis |
every other hour |
| a.m. |
ante meridiem |
morning, before noon |
| amp |
|
ampule |
| amt |
|
amount |
| aq |
aqua |
water |
| a.l., a.s. |
aurio laeva, aurio sinister |
left ear |
| A.T.C. |
|
around the clock |
| a.u. |
auris utrae |
both ears |
| bis |
bis |
twice |
| b.i.d. |
bis in die |
twice daily |
| B.M. |
|
bowel movement |
| bol. |
bolus |
as a large single dose (usually intravenously) |
| B.S. |
|
blood sugar |
| B.S.A |
|
body surface areas |
| cap., caps. |
capsula |
capsule |
| c |
cum |
with (usually written with a bar on top of the "c") |
| c |
cibos |
food |
| cc |
cum cibos |
with food, (but also cubic centimetre) |
| cf |
|
with food |
| comp. |
|
compound |
| cr., crm |
|
cream |
| D5W |
|
dextrose 5% solution (sometimes written as D5W) |
| D5NS |
|
dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%) |
| D.A.W. |
|
dispense as written |
| dc, D/C, disc |
|
discontinue |
| dieb. alt. |
diebus alternis |
every other day |
| dil. |
|
dilute |
| disp. |
|
dispense |
| div. |
|
divide |
| d.t.d. |
dentur tales doses |
give of such doses |
| D.W. |
|
distilled water |
| elix. |
|
elixir |
| e.m.p. |
ex modo prescripto |
as directed |
| emuls. |
emulsum |
emulsion |
| et |
et |
and |
| ex aq |
ex aqua |
in water |
| fl., fld. |
|
fluid |
| ft. |
fiat |
make; let it be made |
| g |
|
gram |
| gr |
|
grain |
| gtt(s) |
gutta(e) |
drop(s) |
| H |
|
hypodermic |
| h, hr |
hora |
hour |
| h.s. |
hora somni |
at bedtime |
| ID |
|
intradermal |
| IM |
|
intramuscular (with respect to injections) |
| inj. |
injectio |
injection |
| IP |
|
intraperitoneal |
| IV |
|
intravenous |
| IVP |
|
intravenous push |
| IVPB |
|
intravenous piggyback |
| L.A.S. |
|
label as such |
| LCD |
|
coal tar solution |
| lin |
linimentum |
liniment |
| liq |
liquor |
solution |
| lot. |
|
lotion |
| M. |
misce |
mix |
| m, min |
minimum |
a minimum |
| mcg |
|
microgram |
| mEq |
|
milliequivalent |
| mg |
|
milligram |
| mist. |
mistura |
mix |
| mitte |
mitte |
send |
| mL |
|
millilitre |
| nebul |
nebula |
a spray |
| N.M.T. |
|
not more than |
| noct. |
nocte |
at night |
| non rep. |
non repetatur |
no repeats |
| NS |
|
normal saline (0.9%) |
| 1/2NS |
|
half normal saline (0.45%) |
| N.T.E. |
|
not to exceed |
| o_2 |
|
both eyes, sometimes written as o2 |
| o.d. |
oculus dexter |
right eye |
| o.s. |
oculus sinister |
left eye |
| o.u. |
oculo utro |
both eyes |
| oz |
|
ounce |
| per |
per |
by or through |
| p.c. |
post cibum |
after meals |
| p.m. |
post meridiem |
evening or afternoon |
| prn |
pro re nata |
as needed |
| p.o. |
per os |
by mouth or orally |
| p.r. |
|
by rectum |
| pulv. |
pulvis |
powder |
| q |
quaque |
every |
| q.a.d. |
quoque alternis die |
every other day |
| q.h. |
quaque hora |
every hour |
| q.1h |
quaque 1 hora |
every 1 hour; (can replace "1" with other numbers) |
| q.d. |
quaque die |
every day |
| q.i.d. |
quater in die |
four times a day |
| q.o.d. |
|
every other day |
| q.s. |
quantum sufficiat |
a sufficient quantity |
| R |
|
rectal |
| rep., rept. |
repetatur |
repeats |
| RL, R/L |
|
Ringer's lactate |
| s |
sine |
without (usually written with a bar on top of the "s") |
| s.a. |
secundum artum |
use your judgement |
| SC, subc, subq, subcut |
|
subcutaneous |
| sig |
|
write on label |
| SL |
|
sublingually, under the tongue |
| sol |
solutio |
solution |
| s.o.s., si op. sit |
si opus sit |
if there is a need |
| ss |
semis |
one half |
| stat |
statim |
immediately |
| supp |
suppositorium |
suppository |
| susp |
|
suspension |
| syr |
syrupus |
syrup |
| tab |
tabella |
tablet |
| tal., t |
talus |
such |
| tbsp |
|
tablespoon |
| troche |
trochiscus |
lozenge |
| tsp |
|
teaspoon |
| t.i.d. |
ter in die |
three times a day |
| t.d.s. |
ter die sumendum |
three times a day |
| t.i.w. |
|
three times a week |
| top. |
|
topical |
| T.P.N. |
|
total parenteral nutrition |
| tr, tinc., tinct. |
|
tincture |
| u.d., ut. dict. |
ut dictum |
as directed |
| ung. |
unguentum |
ointment |
| U.S.P. |
|
United States Pharmacopoeia |
| vag |
|
vaginally |
| w |
|
with |
| w/o |
|
without |
| X |
|
times |
| Y.O. |
|
years old |
To avoid ambiguity, the following abbreviations are not recommended
[34]:
- a.u., a.d., a.s. - Latin for both, left and right ears; the "a"
can be misread to be an "o" and interpreted to mean both, right or left eyes
- d/c - can mean "discontinue" or "discharge"
- h.s. - can mean half strength or "hour of sleep"
- q.d. - meant "every day" but the "." after the "q" is interpreted
to be an "i" thus "q.i.d." or quadrupling the dose to 4 times a day
- q.o.d. - meant "every other day" but the "o" can be interpreted
as "." or "i" resulting in double or eight times the frequency
- SC/SQ - meant "subcutaneaous" but mistaken for "SL" for
"sublingual"
- T.I.W - meant 3 times a week but mistaken for twice a week
- U - meant "units" but mistaken for "0", "4" or "cc" when poorly
written; conversely cc can be mistaken for "U"
- μg - meant "microgram" but mistaken for "mg"; this 1000-fold
error can cause potentially fatal misunderstandings
|
