A prescription, as is well known, is a physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or device for a patient.
What may be less well known is that a prescription has several parts:- The superscription (or heading) with the symbol R or Rx which stands for the word Recipe, meaning (in Latin) to take;
- The inscription which contains the names and quantities of the ingredients;
- The subscription or directions for compounding the drug; and
- The signature which is often preceded by the sign s. standing for signa, mark, giving the directions to be marked on the container.
You may see some chicken scrawl marks on a prescription. For example, b.i.d. It means twice (two times) a day and is an abbreviation for "bis in die" which in Latin means, not too surprisingly, twice a day. It is one of a number of hallowed abbreviations of Latin terms that have been traditionally used in prescriptions to specify the frequency with which medicines should be taken.
| Abbreviation | Latin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aa | ana | of each |
| ad | ad | up to |
| a.c. | ante cibum | before meals |
| a.d. | auris 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. | auris laeva, auris sinistra | left ear |
| A.T.C. | around the clock | |
| a.u. | auris utraque | both ears |
| bis | bis | twice |
| b.d./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 | |
| BUCC | bucca | inside cheek |
| cap., caps. | capsula | capsule |
| c, c. | cum | with (usually written with a bar on top of the "c") |
| cib. | cibus | food |
| cc | cum cibo | with food, (but also cubic centimetre) |
| cf | with food | |
| comp. | compound | |
| cr., crm | cream | |
| CST | Continue same treatment | |
| 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 | |
| mane | mane | in the morning |
| M. | misce | mix |
| m, min | minimum | a minimum |
| mcg | microgram | |
| m.d.u. | more dicto utendus | to be used as directed |
| 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.p.d. | once per day | |
| o.s. | oculus sinister | left eye |
| o.u. | oculus uterque | both eyes |
| oz | ounce | |
| per | per | by or through |
| p.c. | post cibum | after meals |
| pig./pigm. | pigmentum | paint |
| 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.a.m. | quaque die ante meridiem | every day before noon |
| q.d.s. | quater die sumendus | four times a day |
| q.p.m. | quaque die post meridiem | every day after noon |
| q.h. | quaque hora | every hour |
| q.h.s. | quaque hora somni | every night at bedtime |
| q.1h, q.1° | 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 | |
| qqh | quater quaque hora | every four hours |
| q.s. | quantum sufficiat | a sufficient quantity |
| QWK | every week | |
| 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, subcut, subq, SQ | 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 | |
| wf | with food (with meals) | |
| w/o | without | |
| X | times | |
| Y.O. | years old |
To avoid ambiguity, the following abbreviations are not recommended
- a.u., a.s., a.d. - 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
- bt - intended to mean "bedtime", but can be misread as "bid" or twice daily.
- d/c - can mean "discontinue" or "discharge"
- h.s. - can mean half strength or "hour of sleep"
- IJ - intended to mean "injection", but can be misread as "IV"
- IN - intended to mean "intranasal", but can be misread as "IM" or "IV"
- IU - intended to mean "international unit", but can be misread as "IV" or "10"
- o.d., o.s., o.u. - the "o" can be misread as "a".
- o.d. - can mean "once daily" or "right eye".
- OJ - intended to mean "orange juice" but can be misread as "OD" or "OS"
- q4PM - intended to mean "at 4 PM", but can be misread as every 4 hours
- q.d., q1d - intended to mean "every day" but can be misread as "q.i.d." or 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 - meant "subcutaneous" but mistaken for "SL" for "sublingual"
- SQ - meant "subcutaneous" but mistaken for "5Q" or 5 every dose
- 'ss - intended to mean "sliding scale" or "1/2", but can be mistaken as "55"
- 'SSI, SSRI - intended to mean "sliding scale insulin" or "sliding scale regular insulin", but can be mistaken as "strong solution of iodine" or "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
- T.I.W - meant 3 times a week but mistaken for twice a week
- U - meant "units" but mistaken for "0", "4" (so "4U" can become "40" and the "U" is assumed), or misread as "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
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