List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions[3]

Abbreviation
Latin
Meaning
Possible confusion
aa
ana
of each
apply to affected
AAA
area
a.c.
ante cibum
before meals
"a" can be mistaken as an "o" which
a.d.
auris dextra
right ear
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
ad manu
a.m.m.
at doctor's hand
medicae
morning, before
a.m.
ante meridiem
noon
amp
ampule
amt
amount
aq
aqua
water
"a" can be mistaken as an "o" which
auris laeva,
a.l., a.s.
left ear
could read "o.s." or "o.l", meaning
auris sinistra
left eye
A.T.C.
around the clock
"a" can be mistaken as an "o" which
a.u.
auris utraque both ears
could read "o.u.", meaning both eyes
bis die
BDS/bds
twice daily
sumendum
bis
bis
twice
AMA style avoids use of this
b.i.d./b.d.
bis in die
twice daily
abbreviation (spell out "twice a
day")
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 twice
b.t.
bedtime
daily
BUCC
bucca
inside cheek
cap., caps.
capsula
capsule

c, c.

cum

cib.

cibus

cc

cum cibo

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

DTO

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

with (usually written

with a bar on top of
the "c")
food
with food, (but also
cubic centimetre)

mistaken for "U", meaning units;

also has an ambiguous meaning; use
"mL" or "milliliters"

with food
compound
cream
Continue same
treatment
days or doses

ambiguous meaning, write out

"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
ambiguous meaning
discharge
diebus alternis every other day
dilute
dispersible or
dispense
divide
deciliter
dentur tales
give of such doses
doses
can easily be confused with "diluted
tincture of opium," which is 1/25th
deodorized tincture
the strength of deodorized tincture of
of opium
opium; deaths have resulted due to
massive morphine overdose[4]
distilled water
elixir
ex modo
as directed
prescripto
emulsum
emulsion
et
and
every other day

ex aq
fl., fld.
ft.
g
gr
gtt(s)
H
h, hr
h.s.

ex aqua
fiat

gutta(e)
hora
hora somni

h.s
ID
IJ, inj

injectio

IM
IN
IP
IT
IU
IV
IVP
IVPB
kg
L.A.S.
LCD
lin
liq
lot.

linimentum
liquor

MAE
mane
M.
m, min

mane
misce
minimum

mcg
m.d.u.

more dicto
utendus

in water
fluid
make; let it be made
gram
grain
drop(s)
hypodermic
hour
at bedtime
hour sleep or halfambiguous meaning
strength
intradermal
mistaken for "IV", meaning
injection
intravenously
intramuscular (with
respect to injections)
mistaken for "IM", meaning
intranasal
intramuscular, or "IV", meaning
intravenously
intraperitoneal
mistaken for other abbreviations;
intrathecal
spell out
mistaken for "IV" or "10", spell out
international unit
"international unit"
intravenous
intravenous push
intravenous
piggyback
kilogram
label as such
coal tar solution
liniment
solution
lotion
Moves All
Extremities
in the morning
mix
a minimum
Recommended replacement for "g"
microgram
which may be confused with "mg"
to be used as directed

mEq
mg

milliequivalent
milligram
milligrams per
deciliter

mg/dL
MgSO4
mist.
mitte
mL

magnesium sulfate
mistura
mitte

MS
MSO4

mix
send
millilitre
morphine sulfate or
magnesium sulfate
morphine sulfate

nebul
N.M.T.
noct.
non rep.

nebula
nocte
non repetatur

a spray
not more than
at night
no repeats

NPO

nil per os

nothing by mouth

NS
1/2NS
N.T.E.
o_2

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"

AMA style avoids use of this

abbreviation (spell out "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[5])

od

omne in die,
right eye

od

oculus dexter

right eye

om
on
o.p.d.

omne mane
omne nocte

every morning
every night
once per day

o.s.

oculus sinister left eye

o.u.

oculus uterque both eyes

oz
per
p.c.
pig./pigm.
p.m.

ounce
per
by or through
post cibum
after meals
pigmentum
paint
post meridiem evening or afternoon

"o" can be mistaken as an "a" which

could read "a.d.", meaning right ear,
confusion with omne in die

"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

p.o.

per os

by mouth or orally

p.r. or PR
PRN, prn
pulv.
PV
q

per rectum
pro re nata
pulvis
per vaginam
quaque
quaque alternis
die
quaque die ante
meridiem

by rectum
as needed
powder
via the vagina
every, per

q.a.d.
q.a.m.

q.d./q.1.d.

q.d.s.
q.p.m.
q.h.
q.h.s.
q.1 h, q.1

q.i.d.

quaque die
quater die
sumendus
quaque die post
meridiem
quaque hora
quaque hora
somni

every other day

every day before
noon
every day

mistaken for "QOD" or "qds," spell

out "every day" or "daily". AMA
style avoids use of this abbreviation
(spell out "every day")

four times a day

can be mistaken for "qd" (every day)

every day after noon

or every evening
every hour
every night at
bedtime
every 1 hour; (can
quaque 1 hora replace "1" with
other numbers)
quater in die

four times a day

q4PM

at 4pm

q.o.d.

every other day

qqh
q.s.
QWK
PR
rep., rept.
RL, R/L
s

AMA style avoids use of this

abbreviation (spell out "orally")

quater quaque
every four hours
hora
quantum
a sufficient quantity
sufficiat
every week
rectal
repetatur
repeats
Ringer's lactate
without (usually
sine
written with a bar on
top of the "s")

can be mistaken for "qd" or "qod,"

write out "4 times a day". AMA
style avoids use of this abbreviation
(spell out "4 times a day")
mistaken to mean every four hours
mistaken for "QD," spell out "every
other day". AMA style avoids use of
this abbreviation (spell out "every
other day")

s.a.

secundum
artem

SC, subc, subcut,

subq, SQ

according to the art

(accepted practice);
use your judgement
subcutaneous

s.i.d/SID

semel in die

once a day

sig

signa

write on label
sublingually, under
the tongue
shortness of breath
solution
if there is a need
one half or sliding
scale
sliding scale insulin
or sliding scale
regular insulin
Serotonin
norepinephrine
reuptake inhibitor
selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitor

SL
S.O.B, SOB
sol
s.o.s., si op. sit

solutio
si opus sit

ss

semis

SSI, SSRI
SNRI
(antidepressant)

SSRI
(antidepressant)
stat
SubQ
supp
susp
syr
tab
tal., t
tbsp
t.d.s./TDS
t.i.d.
t.i.w.
top.
T.P.N.

"SC" can be mistaken for "SL,"

meaning sublingual; "SQ" can be
mistaken for "5Q" meaning five
every dose
used exclusively in veterinary
medicine

mistaken for "55" or "1/2"

mistaken to mean "strong solution of
iodine" or "selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitor"

(a specific class of
antidepressant)
statim
immediately
subcutaneously
suppositorium suppository
suspension
syrupus
syrup
tabella
tablet
talus
such
tablespoon
ter die
three times a day
sumendum
ter in die

three times a day

three times a week
topical
total parenteral
nutrition

AMA style avoids use of this

abbreviation (spell out "3 times a
day")
mistaken for twice a week

tr, tinc., tinct.

troche
tsp

trochiscus

unit

u.d., ut. dict.

ung.
U.S.P.
vag
w
w/a
wf
w/o, s
X
Y.O.
g

ut dictum
unguentum

mistaken for a "4", "0" or "cc", spell

out "unit"

as directed
ointment
United States
Pharmacopoeia
vaginally
with
while awake
with food (with
meals)
without
times
years old

mistaken for "mg", meaning

milligram
List of symbols used in prescriptions
Latin
Meaning
Possible confusion
at
mistaken for "2"; spell out "at"
greater than
mistaken for a "7"
less than
mistaken for an "L"
take, take this, or
recipe
take thus
microgram

Symbols
@
>
<

tincture
lozenge
teaspoon