PharmD Info

[Freelancer]

If prescription abbreviations are not accurately translated, they might create confusion and even drug mistakes. Standardized abbreviations are used by healthcare practitioners to properly transmit medication instructions.

Patients, on the other hand, are not necessarily acquainted with these acronyms, which might lead to misconceptions. We will present a thorough list of prescription abbreviations and their definitions in this material to assist patients and healthcare practitioners in better understanding the language used in prescriptions.

a.c. - before meals (ante cibum)
p.c. - after meals (post cibum)
q.d. - once a day (quaque die)
b.i.d. - twice a day (bis in die)
t.i.d. - three times a day (ter in die)
q.i.d. - four times a day (quater in die)
h.s. - at bedtime (hora somni)
p.r.n. - as needed (pro re nata)
s.o.s. - if necessary (si opus sit)
ung. - ointment (unguentum)
cap. - capsule (capsula)
tab. - tablet (tabuletta)
inj. - injection (injicere)
sol. - solution (solutio)
susp. - suspension (suspensio)
syr. - syrup (syrupus)
ung. - ointment (unguentum)
supp. - suppository (suppositorium)
aq. - water (aqua)
ad - up to (ad libitum)
s.c. - subcutaneous (subcutis)
i.m. - intramuscular (intramusculare)
i.v. - intravenous (intravenosus)
p - after (post)
q - every (quaque)
noct. - at night (nocte)
d/c - discontinue (discontinue)
Rx - prescription (recipe)
OD - right eye (oculus dexter)
OS - left eye (oculus sinister)
OU - both eyes (oculus uterque)
stat. - immediately (statim)
qh - every hour (quaque hora)
q2h - every 2 hours (quaque 2 hora)
q3h - every 3 hours (quaque 3 hora)
q4h - every 4 hours (quaque 4 hora)
q6h - every 6 hours (quaque 6 hora)
q8h - every 8 hours (quaque 8 hora)
q12h - every 12 hours (quaque 12 hora)
x7d - for 7 days (per septem dies)
x10d - for 10 days (per decem dies)
NPO - nothing by mouth (nil per os)
PR - rectally (per rectum)
PO - orally (per os)
IV - intravenously (intravenosus)
IM - intramuscularly (intramusculare)
SC - subcutaneously (subcutis)
INH - inhalation (inhalatio)
OTC - over-the-counter (sine prescriptione)
hs - at bedtime (hora somni)
GTT - drops (guttae)
AS - left ear (auris sinistra)
AD - right ear (auris dextra)
AU - both ears (auris uterque)
LMP - last menstrual period (last menstruation periodus)
NKA - no known allergies (nulla nota alergia)
NKDA - no known drug allergies (nulla nota alergia medicamentorum)
NPO - nothing by mouth (nil per os)
O2 - oxygen (oxygenium)
QID - four times a day (quater in die)
QOD - every other day (quaque altera die)
Rx - prescription (recipe)
S - without (sine)
S/s - signs and symptoms (signa et symptoma)
SOB - shortness of breath (shortness of breathus)
tid - three times a day (ter in die)
TKO - to keep open (ad vitam aeternam patere)
UTI - urinary tract infection (urinarium infectionis tractus)
VO - verbal order (verbalis ordo)
WNL - within normal limits (in normis limitibus)
wt - weight (pondus)
DAW - dispense as written (dispensetur ut scriptum)
prn noc - as needed at night (pro re nata nocte)
CR - controlled release (continuus liberatio)
XL - extended release (prolongatum liberatio
ml - milliliter (millilitrum)
mcg - microgram (microgrammum)
mg - milligram (milligrammum)
g - gram (gramma)
L - liter (litrum)
IU - international units (unitates internationales)
tid ac - three times a day before meals (ter in die ante cibum)
tid pc - three times a day after meals (ter in die post cibum)
qid ac - four times a day before meals (quater in die ante cibum)
qid pc - four times a day after meals (quater in die post cibum)
sig - label, instructions (signetur)
disp - dispense (dispensetur)
ext - extract (extractum)
NR - no refill (non-repetatur)
UD - as directed (ut dictum)