List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions Abbreviation Latin Meaning Possible confusion aa ana of each ad ad up to a.c.

ante cibum before meals "a" can be mistaken as an "o" a.d. auris dextra right ear which could read "o.d.", meaning right eye use as much as one ad lib. ad libitum 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" can be mistaken as an "o" auris laeva, a.l., a.s. left ear which could read "o.s." or "o.l", auris sinistra meaning left eye A.T.C. around the clock "a" can be mistaken as an "o" a.u. auris utraque both ears which could read "o.u.", meaning both eyes bis bis twice b.d./b.i.d. bis in die twice daily B.M. bowel movement British National BNF Formulary as a large single dose bol. bolus (usually intravenously) B.S. blood sugar B.S.A body surface areas mistaken for "b.i.d", meaning b.t. bedtime twice daily BUCC bucca inside cheek cap., caps. capsula capsule with (usually written c, c. cum with a bar on top of

cib. cc cf comp. cr., crm CST D5W D5NS D.A.W. dc, D/C, disc dieb. alt. dil. disp. div. d.t.d. D.W. elix. e.m.p. emuls. et eod ex aq fl., fld. ft. g gr

cibus cum cibo

the "c") food with food, (but also cubic centimetre) mistaken for "U", meaning units; also has an ambiguous meaning; use "mL" or "milliliters"

diebus alternis

with food compound cream Continue same treatment dextrose 5% solution (sometimes written as D5W) dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%) dispense as written (i.e., no generic substitution) discontinue or ambiguous meaning discharge every other day dilute dispersible or dispense divide give of such doses distilled water elixir

dentur tales doses

ex modo prescripto emulsum et ex aqua fiat

as directed emulsion and every other day in water fluid make; let it be made gram grain

gtt(s) H h, hr h.s. h.s ID IJ, inj IM IN IP IU IV IVP IVPB L.A.S. LCD lin liq lot. mane M. m, min mcg m.d.u. mEq mg MgSO4 mist. mitte mL MS

gutta(e) hora hora somni

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 label as such coal tar solution liniment solution lotion in the morning mix a minimum microgram to be used as directed milliequivalent milligram magnesium sulfate

ambiguous meaning mistaken for "IV", meaning intravenously

injectio

mistaken for "IM", meaning intramuscular, or "IV", meaning intravenously mistaken for "IV" or "10", spell out "international unit"

linimentum liquor mane misce minimum more dicto utendus

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

mistura mitte

mix send millilitre morphine sulfate or

can mean either morphine

magnesium sulfate

MSO4 nebul N.M.T. noct. non rep. NS 1/2NS N.T.E. o_2 od omne in die nebula nocte non repetatur

morphine sulfate a spray not more than at night no repeats 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[3]) right eye every morning every night once per day left eye

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

od om on o.p.d. o.s.

oculus dexter omne mane omne nocte

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

oculus sinister

o.u. oz per p.c. pig./pigm. p.m. p.o. p.r. PRN, prn pulv. PV

oculus uterque

both eyes ounce by or through after meals paint evening or afternoon by mouth or orally by rectum as needed powder via the vagina

"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

per post cibum pigmentum post meridiem per os per rectum pro re nata pulvis per vaginam

q q.a.d. q.a.m. q.d.s. q.p.m. q.h. q.h.s. q.1h, q.1 q.d., q1d q.i.d. q4PM q.o.d. qqh q.s. QWK R rep., rept. RL, R/L s s.a. SC, subc, subcut, subq, SQ sig SL

quaque quoque alternis die quaque die ante meridiem quater die sumendus quaque die post meridiem quaque hora quaque hora somni quaque 1 hora quaque die quattuor in die

every every other day every day before noon four times a day every day after noon every hour every night at bedtime every 1 hour; (can replace "1" with other numbers) every day four times a day at 4pm every other day mistaken to mean every four hours mistaken for "QD", spell out "every other day" mistaken for "QOD" or "qds", spell out "every day" or "daily" can be mistaken for "qd" (every day)

quater quaque hora quantum sufficiat

every four hours a sufficient quantity

every week rectal repetatur repeats Ringer's lactate without (usually sine written with a bar on top of the "s") secundum artum use your judgement subcutaneous write on label sublingually, under the tongue "SC" can be mistaken for "SL", meaning sublingual; "SQ" can be mistaken for "5Q" meaning five every dose

sol s.o.s., si op. sit ss SSI, SSRI stat 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. vag w wf w/o X Y.O.

solutio si opus sit semis

statim suppositorium syrupus tabella talus trochiscus ter die sumendum ter in die

solution if there is a need one half or sliding scale sliding scale insulin or sliding scale regular insulin immediately suppository suspension 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

ambiguous meaning; mistaken for "55" or "1/2" mistaken to mean "strong solution of iodine" or "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor"

mistaken for twice a week

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

ut dictum unguentum

as directed ointment United States Pharmacopoeia vaginally with with food (with meals) without times years old List of symbols used in prescriptions

Symbols @ > <

Latin

Meaning at greater than less than

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

take, take this, or take thus

prescription drug