Guide to Pharmacy Prescription Abbreviations

When I first encountered pharmacy prescription abbreviations, I found myself confused by the unfamiliar symbols and Latin terms written on my medication scripts. Understanding these abbreviations is important, not just for pharmacists but for anyone receiving regular medical care.

In this guide, I’ll share everything I’ve learned about these shorthand medical terms, helping you understand what your doctor or pharmacist is trying to communicate.

I’ve personally gone through the learning process, and I’ll break it down in a way that’s easy to understand.

What Are Pharmacy Prescription Abbreviations?

Prescription abbreviations are shorthand symbols and Latin terms used by healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists) to save time and ensure clarity in medication instructions. These abbreviations might look cryptic but they convey essential information like dosage, timing, and frequency.

When I first started learning about them, I quickly realized how important it was to get familiar with these terms to understand my medications better.

• List of Abbreviations and their meanings in a Prescription
• Abbreviations to avoid

Rx Full form in Medical Setting?

Rx meaning in medical is “prescription”. Rx is often misread with Px as an alternate which is not true. Px means “procedure” code or “prognosis”. Including a big symbol of Rx on every prescription in medical settings (hospitals, clinics) is a good practice.

How to write prescription abbreviations?

First, you must be aware of the shorthand abbreviations and their meanings. There is no need to remember all, as you can only remember some according to your practice.

A very common example is “ODHS” on a prescription. ODHS on a prescription stands for “once daily in the night time“. This is allowed to be used for all medicines intended to be used before bed at night. A perfect example of such medicine is “panadol night” given for the relief of bedtime pain.

These prescription abbreviations are for pharmacists, nurses and other doctors to understand this shorthand.

Similar to this

• odpc meaning in prescription “once a day post meals”
• qds meaning in prescription “to be taken four times”
• qd meaning in prescription “once daily”
• hs means in medical prescriptions “once daily at night”
• rx means a “prescription”
• od meaning in prescription “once daily”
• bd meaning in prescription “twice daily”
• PRN meaning in prescription “as needed”
• refill meaning in prescription “more than once time prescription can be used”
• disp meaning in prescription “dispense”; followed by a number of tablets
• qhs meaning in prescription “once every night”

As per ISMP Guidelines, it is discouraged to use abbreviations in medical settings due to chances of confusion and misinterpreting.

Latin Origins: Why Some Abbreviations Still Use Latin

Many pharmacy abbreviations have Latin origins, which can make them seem more complex than they are. For example:

• QAM: Every morning (from “quaque ante meridiem”)
• QPM: Every evening (from “quaque post meridiem”)

As I began to understand the Latin roots of these terms, all of them became easier to remember and understand. While Latin is not commonly spoken anymore in medicine, but it remains an important part of medical terminology.

List of Common Pharmacy Prescription Abbreviations

These medical pharmacies or medical abbreviations are also sometimes known as prescription shorthand. Mostly these are Latin abbreviations of pharmacy.

Abbreviation	Meaning	Notes
1/2 tablet	one-half tablet	Spell out half tablet or use reduced font-size fractions½ tablet))
5-ASA	5-aminosalicylic acid	Better to spell out full drug name 5-aminosalicylic acid; may be misinterpreted as 5 aspirin tablets.)
ā	before
a.c.	before meals	Derived from Latin, ante cibum
a.d.	right ear	Derived from Latin, auris dextra
a.m.	morning; before noon	Derived from Latin, ante meridiem
A.M.	morning
a.p.	after lunch	(Derived from Latin, post prandium)
a.r.	as required
a.s.	left ear	Derived from Latin, auris sinistra
a.s.a.p.	as soon as possible
a.u.	both ears	Derived from Latin, auris utraque
aa	of each	Derived from Latin, ana
AAA	apply to affected area
achs	before meals and at bedtime
AD	right ear	Spell out right ear; may be mistaken for ODright eye))
ad lib.	as much as desired; freely	Derived from Latin, ad libitum (“at one’s pleasure”)
amp.	ampule
amt.	amount
APAP	acetaminophen
APAP	acetaminophen	Spell out acetaminophen; not everyone familiar with abbreviation.)
aq.	water	Derived from Latin, aqua
AS	left ear	Spell out left ear; may be mistaken for OSleft eye))
ASA	aspirin	Better to spell out full drug name aspirin.)
ATC	around the clock
AU	each ear	Spell out each ear; may be mistaken for ODeach eye))
AZT	zidovudine	Better to spell out full drug name zidovudine; can be mistaken as azithromycin, azathioprine, or aztreonam.)
b.i.d.	twice a day	Derived from Latin, bis in die
bib.	drink	Derived from Latin, bibe
bid	twice a day
BMI	body mass index
BP	blood pressure
bpm	beats per minute
BSA	body surface area
bucc.	inside cheek	Derived from Latin, bucca
c̅	with
c.	with	Derived from Latin, cum; often written with a bar above it
C&S	culture and sensitivity
CaCO3	calcium carbonate
CAD	coronary artery disease
cap	capsule	Spell out capsule; may be confused with cancer of the prostateCAP).)
cap.	capsule
cath.	catheter
CBC	complete blood count
cc	cubic centimeter (cm3)	Less commonly used as an abbreviation for cum cibo (“with food”)
cc	cubic centimeter	Use mL; can be mistaken as “u”units).)
cm	centimeter	Also used as an abbreviation for cream
cm	centimeters
CNS	central nervous system
CNS	central nervous system
comp.	compound
COPD	chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
CPZ	Compazine	generic
CR	controlled release
cr, crm	cream
CSF	cerebrospinal fluid
CT	computed tomography
CV	cardiovascular
CXR	chest xray
d.	day	Derived from Latin, dies
d.c.; d/c	discontinue
D/C, dc, or disc	discontinue or discharge	Multiple meanings; spell out discontinue or discharge.)
DAW	dispense as written
DAW	dispense as written
dil.	dilute
disp.	dispense
div.	divide
dL	deciliter
DR	delayed-release
EC	enteric-coated
ECG/EKG	electrocardiogram
EMS	emergency medical services
ENT	ear, nose, and throat
EOD	every other day
ER; XR	extended-release
et	and	Derived from Latin, et
f., ft.	make; let it be made	Derived from Latin, fiat
F/U	follow up
fl.	fluid
FXD	for 10 days	X = Roman numeral for 10
g, gm	gram
gal	gallon
GFR	glomerular filtration rate
gr.	grain
gtt.	drop	Derived from Latin, gutta
h., hr., hor.	hour	Derived from Latin, hora
h.s.	at bedtime	Derived from Latin, hora somni (“at the hour of sleep”)
h.s.e.	at every bedtime	(Derived from Latin, hora somni et)
HCT; HCTZ	hydrochlorothiazide
I.V.D.	intravascular device
ICU	intensive care unit
ID	intradermal
IM	intramuscular
IN	intranasal
inf.	infusion
inh.	inhalation
inj.	injection
IR	immediate-release
IU	international unit
IV	intravenous
K	potassium
kg	kilogram
L	liter
lb	pound	Derived from Latin, libra
liq.	liquid
lot.	lotion
m	meter
max.	maximum
mcg; μg	microgram	μ = Greek letter mu
MDP	Medrol Dosepak	Pre-dosed packaging of methylprednisolone (Medrol)
mg	milligram
min.	minimum
mL	milliliter
mm	millimeter
neb.	nebulizer
NPO	nil per os (nothing by mouth)
NSAID	nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug	Drug class that includes ibuprofen (Motrin)
o.d.	right eye	Derived from Latin, oculus dexter
o.s.	left eye	Derived from Latin, oculus sinister
o.u.	both eyes	Derived from Latin, oculus uterque
ODT	oral disintegrating tablet
oint.	ointment
OTC	over the counter
oz	ounce
p.c.	after meals	Derived from Latin, post cibum
p.m.	evening; after noon	Derived from Latin, post meridiem
p.o.	by mouth; orally	Derived from Latin, per os
p.r.	rectally	Derived from Latin, per rectum
p.r.n.	as needed (for)	Derived from Latin, pro re nata
p.v.	vaginally	Derived from Latin, per vaginam
PA	prior authorization
PACU	post anesthesia care unit
PET	positron emission tomography
PICC	peripherally inserted central catheter
PRBC	packed red blood cells
pt	pint
PT/INR	prothrombin time/international normalized ratio
q	every; per	Derived from Latin, quaque
q.a.d.; q.o.d.	every other day	Derived from Latin, quaque alternis die
q.a.m.	every morning; every day before noon	Derived from Latin, quaque anti meridiem
q.d.	every day	Derived from Latin, quaque die
q.h.	every hour	(Derived from Latin, quaque hora)
q.h.s. or odhs	every day at bedtime	Derived from Latin, quaque hora somni
q.i.d.	4 times a day	Dervied from Latin, quater in die
q.p.m.	every evening; every day after noon	Derived from Latin, quaque post meridiem
q.s.	a sufficient quantity	Derived from Latin, quantum sufficiat
q.w.	every week
q1-2; q. 1-2 h.; q1-2°	every 1 to 2 hours	1 and 2 can be substituted with any number
q12; q. 12 h.; q12°	every 12 hours	12 can be substituted with any number
qt	quart
qty.	quantity
Rx	prescription	Derived from Latin, recipere (‘to take”)
s.	without	Derived from Latin, sine; often written with a bar above it
SC; SQ; SubQ	subcutaneous
sig.	write; label	Derived from Latin, signa
SL; s.l.	sublingually; under the tongue
SOB	shortness of breath
sol.	solution
SSRI	selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor	Derived from Latin, statism
stat.	immediately	Derived from Latin, sine; is often written with a bar above it
supp.	suppository
susp.	suspension
syr.	syrup
t.i.d.	3 times a day	Derived from Latin, ter in die
tab.	tablet
TAD	take as directed
tbsp	tablespoon
top.	topical
troch.	lozenge	Derived from Latin, trochiscus
tsp	teaspoon
U	unit
u.d., ut. dict.	as directed	Derived from Latin, ut dictum
ung.	ointment	Derived from Latin, unguentum
w.	with
w/f	with food; with meals
w/o	without

Mostly Pharmacy abbreviations are derived from commonly used words available in Latin, and Arabic language. Later on, these are adapted in the English language with a little change due to syllables and dialect.

Misread or Error Prone Pharmacy Abbreviations

There are some pharmacy abbreviations which are now not encouraged to be used by JCIA & ISMP. Let’s have a look at some of them. This is due to errors reported over the years and possible issues created with it.

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 “5Q” or 5 every dose
SQ	meant “units” but mistaken for “0”, and “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”
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
SID or S.I.D.	is not a recognized abbreviation and should not be used

We would love to have your feedback to add more add more medical pharmacy abbreviations to this chart feel free to message us on Facebook or Comment on this post.