Abbreviations Commonly Used in Prescriptions
Terms
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- aa
-
of each
(Latin: ana) - a.c.
- before meals
- ad
- up to
- ad lib
-
use as much as one desires; freely
(Latin: ad libitum) - AM, a.m.
- morning
- amt
- amount
- aq
- water
- AS
- left ear (auris sinestra)
- AU
- both ears
- b.i.d., BID
- 2x per day
- bin
- 2x per night
- c (with a line on top)
- with
- cap, caps
- capsule
- comp
- compound
- d
- dispense
- elix
- elixir
- hr
- hour
- h.s.
- hour of sleep (bedtime)
- IM
- intramuscular
- inj.
- inject
- IV
- intravenous
- liq.
- liquid
- mixt
- mixture
- mist
- a mixture
- noc., noct.
- nocturnal/night
- non rep
-
do not repeat,
no refills - NPO
-
nothing by mouth
(nulla per os) - O.D.
- right eye
- oint
- ointment
- O.S.
- left eye
- OU
- both eyes, each eye
- p.c.
- after meals
- per
- through or by
- p.m.
- afternoon
- p.o.
- by mouth
- p.r.
- through (per) the rectum
- p.r.n., PRN
- as needed
- p.v.
- through the vagina
- pulv
- powder
- q
- every
- q.d.
- every day
- q.h.
- every hour
- q2h
- every 2 hours
- q.i.d., QID
- 4x per day
- qn
- every night
- q.o.d.
- every other day
- q.s., q.v.
- as much as you wish
- S (with a line on top)
- without
- sig.
- label as such
- sol.
- solution
- sp.
- spirits
- s.o.s.
- if necessary
- stat
- immediately
- supp.
-
suppository
(A small plug of medication designed to melt at body temperature within a body cavity other than the mouth, especially the rectum or vagina) - syr.
- syrup
- top.
-
topically
(of or applied to a localized area of the body or to the surface of a body part) - tab.
- tablet
- t.i.d., TID
- 3x per day
- tr., tinct.
-
tincture
(An alcohol solution of a nonvolatile medicine: ex. tincture of iodine.) - u.d.
- as directed
- vo
- verbal order
- x
- times