List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions

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This is a list of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions (sometimes referred to as sig codes). This listing does not include abbreviations for actual pharmaceuticals (which is a separate article in itself). Capitalization and the use of periods 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. Abbreviations which are officially not to be used as required by the Joint Commission are marked in red. Those abbreviations which are discouraged from use by other organizations are marked in orange. Key Official Do-Not-Use list in the United States required by Joint Commission[1] Not recommended for use by other organizations[2] List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions[3] Abbreviation aa AAA a.c. a.d. ad lib. admov. agit alt. h. ante cibum auris dextra ad libitum admove agita alternis horis ana Latin Meaning of each apply to affected area before meals right ear use as much as one desires; freely apply stir/shake every other hour "a" can be mistaken as an "o" which could read "o.d.", meaning right eye Possible confusion

a.m.m. a.m. amp amt aq a.l., a.s. A.T.C. a.u. bis b.d./b.i.d. B.M. BNF bol. B.S. B.S.A b.t. BUCC cap., caps. c, c. cib. cc cf comp.

ad manu medicae

at doctors hand

ante meridiem morning, before noon ampule amount aqua auris laeva, auris sinistra water left ear around the clock auris utraque bis bis in die both ears twice twice daily bowel movement British National Formulary bolus as a large single dose (usually intravenously) blood sugar body surface areas bedtime bucca capsula cum cibus cum cibo inside cheek capsule with (usually written with a bar on top of the "c") food with food, (but also cubic centimetre) with food compound mistaken for "U", meaning units; also has an ambiguous meaning; use "mL" or "milliliters" mistaken for "b.i.d", meaning twice daily "a" can be mistaken as an "o" which could read "o.u.", meaning both eyes "a" can be mistaken as an "o" which could read "o.s." or "o.l", meaning left eye

cr., crm CST D or d D5W D5NS D.A.W. dc, D/C, disc dieb. alt. dil. disp. div. dL d.t.d. dentur tales doses

cream Continue same treatment days or doses dextrose 5% solution (sometimes written as D5W) dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%) dispense as written (i.e., no generic substitution) discontinue or discharge diebus alternis every other day dilute dispersible or dispense divide deciliter give of such doses can easily be confused with "diluted tincture of opium," which deodorized tincture of is 1/25th the strength of deodorized opium tincture of opium; deaths have resulted due to massive morphine overdose distilled water elixir ex modo prescripto emulsum et ex aqua as directed emulsion and every other day in water ambiguous meaning ambiguous meaning, write out "days" or "doses"

DTO

D.W. elix. e.m.p. emuls. et eod ex aq

fl., fld. ft. g gr gtt(s) H h, hr h.s. h.s ID IJ, inj IM IN IP IU IV IVP IVPB kg L.A.S. LCD lin liq lot. mane M. m, min mane misce minimum linimentum liquor injectio hora hora somni gutta(e) fiat

fluid make; let it be made gram grain drop(s) hypodermic hour at bedtime hour sleep or halfstrength intradermal injection intramuscular (with respect to injections) intranasal intraperitoneal international unit intravenous intravenous push intravenous piggyback kilogram label as such coal tar solution liniment solution lotion in the morning mix a minimum mistaken for "IV" or "10", spell out "international unit" mistaken for "IM", meaning intramuscular, or "IV", meaning intravenously mistaken for "IV", meaning intravenously ambiguous meaning

mcg m.d.u. mEq mg mg/dL MgSO4 mist. mitte mL MS MSO4 nebul N.M.T. noct. non rep. NPO NS 1/2NS N.T.E. o_2 od omne in die nocte non repetatur nil per os nebula mistura mitte more dicto utendus

microgram to be used as directed milliequivalent milligram milligrams per deciliter magnesium sulfate mix send millilitre morphine sulfate ormagnesium sulfate morphine sulfate a spray not more than at night no repeats nothing by mouth normal saline (0.9%) half normal saline (0.45%) not to exceed both eyes, sometimes written as o2 every day/once daily (preferred to qd in the UK[4]) right eye

Recommended replacement for "g" which may be confused with "mg"

may be confused with "MSO4", spell out "magnesium sulfate"

can mean either morphine sulfate or magnesium sulfate, spell out either may be confused with "MgSO4", spell out "morphine sulfate"

od

oculus dexter

"o" can be mistaken as an "a" which could read "a.d.", meaning right ear, confusion with omne in

die om on o.p.d. o.s. omne mane omne nocte every morning every night once per day oculus sinister left eye "o" can be mistaken as an "a" which could read "a.s.", meaning left ear "o" can be mistaken as an "a" which could read "a.u.", meaning both ears

o.u. oz per p.c. pig./pigm. p.m. p.o. p.r. PRN, prn pulv. PV q q.a.d. q.a.m. q.d.s. q.p.m. q.h. q.h.s. q.1 h, q.1

oculus uterque both eyes ounce per post cibum pigmentum per os per rectum pro re nata pulvis per vaginam quaque quaque alternis die by or through after meals paint by mouth or orally by rectum as needed powder via the vagina every, per every other day

post meridiem evening or afternoon

quaque die every day before noon ante meridiem quater die sumendus four times a day can be mistaken for "qd" (every day)

quaque die every day after noon post meridiem or every evening quaque hora quaque hora somni every hour every night at bedtime

every 1 hour; (can quaque 1 hora replace "1" with other numbers)

q.d., q1d q.i.d. q4PM q.o.d. qqh q.s. QWK R rep., rept. RL, R/L s

quaque die quater in die

every day four times a day at 4pm every other day

mistaken for "QOD" or "qds," spell out "every day" or "daily" can be mistaken for "qd" or "qod," write out "four times a day" mistaken to mean every four hours mistaken for "QD," spell out "every other day"

quater quaque every four hours hora quantum sufficiat a sufficient quantity every week rectal repetatur repeats Ringer's lactate sine secundum artem without (usually written with a bar on top of the "s") according to the art (accepted practice); use your judgement subcutaneous "SC" can be mistaken for "SL," meaning sublingual; "SQ" can be mistaken for "5Q" meaning five every dose used exclusively in veterinary medicine

s.a. SC, subc, subcut, subq, SQ s.i.d/SID sig SL sol s.o.s., si op. sit ss SSI, SSRI

semel in die signa

once a day write on label sublingually, under the tongue

solutio si opus sit semis

solution if there is a need one half or sliding scale mistaken for "55" or "1/2"

sliding scale insulin or mistaken to mean sliding scale "strong solution of iodine" or

regularinsulin SNRI (antidepressant) Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (a specific class of antidepressant) statim immediately subcutaneously suppositorium suppository suspension syrupus tabella talus trochiscus ter die sumendum ter in die syrup tablet such tablespoon lozenge three times a day three times a day three times a week topical total parenteral nutrition tincture teaspoon unit microgram ut dictum unguentum as directed ointment United States

"selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor"

SSRI (antidepressant)

stat SubQ supp susp syr tab tal., t tbsp troche t.d.s. t.i.d. t.i.w. top. T.P.N. tr, tinc., tinct. tsp U g u.d., ut. dict. ung. U.S.P.

mistaken for twice a week

mistaken for a "4", "0" or "cc", spell out "unit" mistaken for "mg", meaning milligram

Pharmacopoeia vag w w/a wf w/o X Y.O. vaginally with while awake with food (with meals) without times years old List of symbols used in prescriptions Symbols @ > < Latin at greater than less than take, take this, prescription drug or take thus
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Meaning

Possible confusion mistaken for "2"; spell out "at" mistaken for a "7" mistaken for an "L"

1 Numerical abbreviation 2 Discouraged practices 3 References 4 External links