Healthcare professionals commonly use prescription abbreviations, especially in written prescriptions, to save time and reduce errors.
Below is a list of common prescription abbreviations and their meanings:
Common Prescription Abbreviations
Latin Abbreviations:
- q.d. – quaque die (once a day)
- b.i.d. – bis in die (twice a day)
- t.i.d. – ter in die (three times a day)
- q.i.d. – quater in die (four times a day)
- p.r.n. – pro re nata (as needed)
- s.o.s. – si opus sit (if there is a need)
- a.c. – ante cibum (before meals)
- p.c. – post cibum (after meals)
- h.s. – hora somni (at bedtime)
- q.h. – quaque hora (every hour)
- q.o.d. – quaque altera die (every other day)
- stat. – statim (immediately)
- t.i.w. – ter in week (three times a week)
- b.i.w. – bis in week (twice a week)
- m.s. – manuscriptum (take as directed)
- c.c. – cubic centimeter (unit of volume; equivalent to ml)
- gtt. – gutta (drop)
- ad lib. – ad libitum (as desired)
- b.i.d. – bis in die (twice a day)
- i.v. – intravenous (injected directly into the vein)
- i.m. – intramuscular (injected into the muscle)
- s.c. or subcut. – subcutaneous (under the skin)
Common Directions and Dosages:
- NPO – nil per os (nothing by mouth)
- po – per os (by mouth)
- tab – tablet
- cap – capsule
- top – topical (applied to the skin)
- inh – inhalation (breathed in)
- disp – dispense (give or supply)
- ut dict – ut dictum (as directed)
- Rx – recipe (take, recipe is the symbol for prescription)
- sig – signa (write; instructions for the patient)
- # – number (used for quantity, e.g., #10 means 10 tablets)
- sup – suppository (a form of medication for insertion)
- ung – unguentum (ointment)
- sol – solution
- elix – elixir (a sweetened liquid)
- syr – syrup
Prescription Symbols:
- Ø – no (e.g., "Ø alcohol" means "no alcohol")
- ‾ – indicates a line over a number, implying the quantity is to be repeated a certain number of times.
- ≡ – Three lines indicate "equivalence" in formulae or dosage amounts.
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