Pharmacy Abbreviations
134 abbreviations · part of Medical Abbreviations
Pharmacy abbreviations cover dosage forms (tab, cap, susp), the release technologies printed after drug names (ER, XR, SR, DR, ODT), IV fluids (NS, D5W, LR) and the operational and regulatory terms of community and hospital pharmacy, from OTC and NDC to PBM, prior authorization and controlled-substance schedules. Release suffixes such as XL, CD and LA are chosen by manufacturers and are not standardized, so products with different suffixes may not be interchangeable. Extended-release, enteric-coated and orally disintegrating products generally must not be crushed or chewed, as tracked in ISMP's "Do Not Crush" list.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2NS | Half-normal saline | Hypotonic IV fluid containing 0.45% sodium chloride (77 mEq/L of sodium), used to provide free water and maintenance fluid, for example in hypernatremia or in some… |
| AB | Therapeutically equivalent rating (Orange Book code) | Two-letter code in the FDA's Orange Book showing whether a generic drug is therapeutically equivalent to its brand reference. |
| ADC | Automated dispensing cabinet | Computer-controlled medication storage unit on hospital wards that releases drugs only to authorized staff for patients with active orders, while tracking every… |
| ADF | Abuse-deterrent formulation | Opioid formulation designed to make crushing, snorting or injecting more difficult, for example with hard polymers, gelling agents or added antagonists. |
| AHFS | American Hospital Formulary Service | Drug information compendium published by ASHP, best known for AHFS Drug Information and its pharmacologic-therapeutic classification system, which assigns numeric class… |
| amp | Ampule | Small sealed glass container holding a single dose of injectable drug; the neck is snapped open to withdraw the contents. |
| ANDA | Abbreviated New Drug Application | FDA pathway for approval of generic drugs. |
| APhA | American Pharmacists Association | Largest association of pharmacists in the United States, which advocates for the profession, offers training and certification programs and publishes the Journal of the… |
| API | Active pharmaceutical ingredient | The chemical substance in a medicine that produces its therapeutic effect, as opposed to excipients such as binders, fillers and coatings. |
| aq | Aqueous | State symbol written after a formula to show that a substance is dissolved in water, as in NaCl(aq). |
| ARCOS | Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System | DEA database in which manufacturers and distributors report transactions of selected controlled substances, such as opioids, from production to the point of sale to… |
| ASHP | American Society of Health-System Pharmacists | Professional organization representing pharmacists in hospitals, health systems and ambulatory clinics. |
| AWP | Average wholesale price | Published benchmark price for prescription drugs that historically served as the starting point for pharmacy reimbursement formulas, such as "AWP minus 18 percent". |
| BLA | Biologics License Application | Application to the FDA for permission to market a biological product, such as a monoclonal antibody, vaccine, blood product or gene therapy, under the Public Health… |
| BOP | Board of pharmacy | State government agency that licenses and disciplines pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies, sets practice rules and inspects facilities to protect the public. |
| BP | British Pharmacopoeia | Official collection of quality standards for medicinal substances and products in the United Kingdom, used alongside the European Pharmacopoeia. "BP" after a product… |
| BPMH | Best possible medication history | Structured medication history gathered from at least two sources, such as patient interview, pill bottles, pharmacy fill records and outpatient notes, used as the… |
| BTC | Behind the counter | Nonprescription products that are kept behind the pharmacy counter and require a pharmacist or technician to hand them over, often with ID and quantity limits. |
| BUD | Beyond-use date | Date or time after which a compounded or repackaged preparation must not be used, set by USP standards based on sterility risk, stability and storage. |
| C-I | Schedule I controlled substance | Federal classification for substances with a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in US treatment and a lack of accepted safety under medical… |
| C-II | Schedule II controlled substance | Federal class for drugs with accepted medical use but a high potential for abuse and severe dependence, including most strong opioids (oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine… |
| C-III | Schedule III controlled substance | Federal class for drugs with less abuse potential than Schedules I and II, including codeine combinations with up to 90 mg per dose unit (such as Tylenol with Codeine… |
| C-IV | Schedule IV controlled substance | Federal class for drugs with a low abuse potential relative to Schedule III, including benzodiazepines, zolpidem, tramadol, carisoprodol, phenobarbital, modafinil and… |
| C-V | Schedule V controlled substance | Lowest federal control class, covering preparations with limited quantities of certain narcotics and some other drugs, such as codeine cough syrups… |
| CACI | Compounding aseptic containment isolator | Sealed glove-box workstation kept under negative pressure, used to compound sterile hazardous drugs while protecting both the product and the operator. |
| cap | Capsule | Oral dosage form in which the drug is enclosed in a gelatin or plant-based shell, either a two-piece hard capsule filled with powder or pellets, or a one-piece soft gel… |
| CD | Controlled delivery | Release suffix used mainly for once-daily diltiazem capsules (Cardizem CD and its generics), which contain beads that release drug over 24 hours. |
| CDTM | Collaborative drug therapy management | Arrangement under state law that allows pharmacists to initiate, modify or stop drug therapy under a written protocol with physicians, commonly for anticoagulation… |
| cGMP | Current good manufacturing practice | Regulations that set minimum requirements for the methods, facilities and controls used to make drugs, so that every batch is safe, pure and of consistent strength. |
| conc | Concentrate | Label term for a more concentrated version of a drug, usually an oral liquid or injectable that must be measured with special care or diluted before use. |
| CPA | Collaborative practice agreement | Formal written agreement between a pharmacist and one or more prescribers defining which patients, conditions and drug therapy decisions the pharmacist may manage. |
| CPhT | Certified Pharmacy Technician | Credential for pharmacy technicians who pass a national certification exam, most commonly from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). |
| CR | Controlled release | Release-technology suffix indicating a product engineered to deliver drug at a controlled rate, as in Paxil CR, Ambien CR, Sinemet CR and Coreg CR. |
| CSOS | Controlled Substance Ordering System | DEA system that lets registrants order Schedule I and II controlled substances electronically using digital certificates, replacing the paper DEA Form 222. |
| CSP | Compounded sterile preparation | Any medication mixed or manipulated under aseptic conditions for injection, infusion, inhalation or use in the eye, such as IV antibiotic bags, chemotherapy syringes… |
| CSTD | Closed-system drug-transfer device | Device that mechanically prevents hazardous drug vapors, aerosols and droplets from escaping when a drug is transferred between vials, syringes and IV bags. |
| D | Decongestant | Suffix on allergy combination products that add pseudoephedrine, such as Claritin-D, Allegra-D and Zyrtec-D. |
| D10W | Dextrose 10% in water | IV solution with 100 g of glucose per liter, used for neonatal hypoglycemia, for treating insulin overdose and as a continuous infusion when TPN is stopped suddenly. |
| D5 1/2NS | Dextrose 5% in half-normal saline | IV fluid with 0.45% sodium chloride and 5% dextrose, long the standard adult maintenance fluid, often with 20 mEq/L of potassium chloride added. |
| D50 | Dextrose 50% | Highly concentrated glucose solution, 25 g in a 50 mL prefilled syringe, given IV push to rapidly reverse severe hypoglycemia in adults. |
| D5NS | Dextrose 5% in normal saline | IV fluid combining 0.9% sodium chloride with 50 g/L of glucose, used when a patient needs isotonic sodium replacement plus some calories to prevent ketosis or… |
| D5W | Dextrose 5% in water | IV solution of 50 g of glucose per liter in sterile water, supplying about 170 kcal per liter. |
| DIR | Direct and indirect remuneration | Medicare Part D term for price concessions that plans and PBMs receive after a prescription is filled, including fees clawed back from pharmacies weeks or months later… |
| DPI | Dry powder inhaler | Breath-actuated inhaler that delivers a powdered drug when the patient inhales quickly and forcefully through the device. |
| DR | Delayed release | Formulation designed so the drug is not released until after it passes the stomach, usually because the drug is destroyed by acid or irritates the stomach. |
| DS | Double strength | Suffix on products containing twice the standard strength, most famously trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole DS (Bactrim DS), which contains 800 mg sulfamethoxazole and 160… |
| DSCSA | Drug Supply Chain Security Act | US federal law enacted in 2013 that requires manufacturers, wholesalers and pharmacies to trace prescription drugs at the package level through an electronic… |
| DTC | Direct-to-consumer advertising | Marketing of prescription drugs directly to the public through television, print, online and social media ads. |
| DUR | Drug utilization review | Structured review of prescribing and dispensing to catch problems such as interactions, duplicate therapy, incorrect doses or allergies. |
| EC | Enteric-coated | Tablet or capsule coated with a polymer that resists stomach acid and dissolves in the more alkaline small intestine. |
| elix | Elixir | Clear, sweetened oral solution containing alcohol along with water, used to dissolve drugs that are not water-soluble. |
| ER | Extended release | Formulation that releases its drug slowly over many hours, allowing once- or twice-daily dosing and smoother blood levels than immediate-release versions.… |
| ES | Extra strength | Consumer-label suffix for a higher-strength version of an over-the-counter product, such as Tylenol Extra Strength (500 mg acetaminophen per tablet versus 325 mg for… |
| GITS | Gastrointestinal therapeutic system | Osmotic push-pull tablet design used for once-daily drugs such as nifedipine (Procardia XL) and glipizide (Glucotrol XL), releasing drug at a nearly constant rate as… |
| GPO | Group purchasing organization | Organization that negotiates contracts for drugs, supplies and devices on behalf of many hospitals and health systems, using combined buying power to obtain lower prices. |
| gtt | Drip (continuous infusion) | Hospital and ICU shorthand for a continuously running IV infusion, as in "heparin gtt", "insulin gtt" or "nitro gtt". |
| HAM | High-alert medication | Drug that carries a heightened risk of causing significant harm when used in error, such as insulin, opioids, anticoagulants, concentrated electrolytes, chemotherapy… |
| HBP | High blood pressure | Plain-language term for hypertension used in public-health campaigns, patient handouts and surveys. |
| HD | Hazardous drug | Medicine that poses a risk to healthcare workers through occupational exposure because it can cause cancer, birth defects, reproductive harm or organ toxicity at low… |
| HFA | Hydrofluoroalkane | Propellant used in modern metered-dose inhalers, printed after the drug name, as in "albuterol HFA" or "Flovent HFA". |
| HTS | Hypertonic saline | Sodium chloride solution more concentrated than normal saline, usually 3% (513 mEq/L of sodium) or 23.4%, used to treat severe symptomatic hyponatremia and to lower… |
| ILE | Intravenous lipid emulsion | Fat emulsion given IV as part of parenteral nutrition to provide calories and essential fatty acids. |
| IND | Investigational New Drug application | Submission to the FDA that must be in effect before an unapproved drug or biologic can be tested in humans in the US. |
| IR | Immediate release | Conventional formulation that releases its drug quickly after swallowing, as opposed to extended-release versions. |
| ISMP | Institute for Safe Medication Practices | US nonprofit devoted to preventing medication errors. |
| KVO | Keep vein open | IV order for a slow continuous infusion, often 10 to 30 mL per hour of normal saline, that keeps a catheter patent when no other fluids are needed. |
| LA | Long-acting | Suffix on products designed to last longer than the standard form, as in Inderal LA, Ritalin LA, Cardizem LA and penicillin G benzathine (Bicillin L-A). |
| LAFW | Laminar airflow workbench | Hood that blows HEPA-filtered air in a smooth, one-directional stream across the work surface, creating an ISO Class 5 environment for preparing sterile, non-hazardous… |
| LASA | Look-alike, sound-alike | Drug names that look or sound similar enough to be confused when written, spoken or selected on a screen, such as hydroxyzine and hydralazine, or Celebrex and Celexa. |
| LDD | Limited distribution drug | Medication that the manufacturer makes available only through a small number of selected specialty pharmacies or distributors, often because of REMS requirements… |
| LR | Lactated Ringer's solution | Balanced crystalloid IV fluid whose electrolytes resemble plasma: about 130 mEq/L sodium, 109 chloride, 4 potassium, 3 calcium and 28 lactate, which the liver converts… |
| LVP | Large-volume parenteral | Sterile injectable solution in a container of more than 100 mL, such as 500 mL and 1,000 mL bags of saline, dextrose and lactated Ringer's. |
| MAC | Maximum allowable cost | Upper limit a PBM or payer will reimburse a pharmacy for a generic drug, regardless of what the pharmacy paid. |
| MAR | Medication administration record | Legal record of every medication ordered, scheduled, given, held or refused for a hospital or nursing-home patient. |
| MDI | Metered-dose inhaler | Handheld pressurized canister that releases a fixed dose of medicine as an aerosol each time it is pressed. |
| MDV | Multiple-dose vial | Vial of injectable drug that contains an antimicrobial preservative and is intended for more than one dose, such as insulin vials, lidocaine 1% and some vaccines. |
| med rec | Medication reconciliation | Process of building the most accurate list of everything a patient takes, including dose, frequency and route, and comparing it with new orders at admission, transfer… |
| MPJE | Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination | Pharmacy law exam administered by NABP, tailored to each participating state's laws as well as federal law, which pharmacists must pass to be licensed in that state. |
| MR | Modified release | British and European umbrella term for any formulation in which the rate or place of drug release differs from a conventional tablet, covering extended, prolonged and… |
| MTM | Medication therapy management | Pharmacist service that reviews all of a patient's medicines, prescription and OTC, to find problems such as duplications, interactions, nonadherence or unnecessary… |
| MUE | Medication use evaluation | Hospital quality-improvement method in which pharmacists measure how a drug or class is prescribed, given and monitored against criteria, then act on the findings, for… |
| NABP | National Association of Boards of Pharmacy | Organization representing the state boards of pharmacy in the US and some other jurisdictions. |
| NADAC | National Average Drug Acquisition Cost | Weekly CMS benchmark estimating what retail pharmacies actually pay for drugs, based on monthly surveys of pharmacy invoice prices. |
| NAPLEX | North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination | Licensing exam for pharmacists, developed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), that tests the ability to apply pharmacotherapy knowledge safely. |
| NCPDP | National Council for Prescription Drug Programs | Standards organization that develops the electronic formats used throughout US pharmacy, including the SCRIPT standard for e-prescriptions and the Telecommunication… |
| NDA | New Drug Application | Formal submission a company makes to the FDA to request approval to market a new drug in the US, containing the full results of animal and human studies, manufacturing… |
| NDC | National Drug Code | Unique numeric identifier for every drug product marketed in the US, printed on the package and used in pharmacy billing and inventory. |
| NF | Non-formulary | Status of a drug that is not on a hospital's or health plan's approved list of medicines. |
| NS | Normal saline | Sterile 0.9% sodium chloride solution, the most widely used IV fluid, given for fluid resuscitation, dehydration, flushing lines and diluting drugs. |
| NSS | Normal saline solution | Alternate abbreviation for 0.9% sodium chloride, common in nursing notes, wound care orders and texts outside the US. |
| ODT | Orally disintegrating tablet | Tablet that dissolves on the tongue within seconds without water, useful for patients who have trouble swallowing or are nauseated. |
| oint | Ointment | Semisolid topical preparation with an oily base, such as petrolatum, that forms an occlusive film. |
| OROS | Osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system | Tablet technology in which water entering through a semipermeable shell pushes drug out of a laser-drilled hole at a steady rate. |
| OTC | Over-the-counter | Medicines that can be bought without a prescription, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, loratadine and omeprazole 20 mg. |
| P&T | Pharmacy and therapeutics committee | Multidisciplinary hospital or health-plan committee of physicians, pharmacists and nurses that decides which drugs are on the formulary, sets medication-use policies… |
| PA | Prior authorization | Requirement by an insurer or PBM that the prescriber obtain approval before a drug is covered, usually for expensive, specialty or potentially misused medicines. |
| PAR | Periodic automatic replenishment | Inventory method in which a set "par level" is defined for each stocked item, and stock in a pharmacy, ward or automated cabinet is refilled back to that level on a… |
| PBM | Pharmacy benefit manager | Company that administers prescription drug benefits for insurers and employers: building formularies, negotiating rebates with manufacturers, processing pharmacy claims… |
| PDL | Preferred drug list | List of drugs a health plan, usually a state Medicaid program, covers without extra requirements; non-preferred drugs typically need prior authorization. |
| PDMP | Prescription drug monitoring program | State electronic database that records dispensed controlled-substance prescriptions, letting prescribers and pharmacists see a patient's history of opioids… |
| PEC | Primary engineering control | Device that provides the ISO Class 5 air quality needed for sterile compounding, including laminar airflow workbenches, biological safety cabinets and compounding… |
| Ph. Eur. | European Pharmacopoeia | Legally binding book of quality standards for medicines and their ingredients in the member states of the European Pharmacopoeia Convention, covering nearly 40 European… |
| PI | Package insert | FDA-approved professional labeling that accompanies a prescription drug, also called prescribing information. |
| PIC | Pharmacist-in-charge | Pharmacist designated to a state board of pharmacy as legally responsible for a pharmacy's operations and compliance, including controlled-substance records, staffing… |
| PM | Nighttime formula | Suffix on over-the-counter products that add a sedating antihistamine, usually diphenhydramine or doxylamine, to a pain reliever, as in Tylenol PM and Advil PM. |
| PN | Parenteral nutrition | Nutrition delivered intravenously rather than through the digestive tract. |
| PPI | Patient package insert | FDA-approved leaflet written for patients and required for some drug classes, notably oral contraceptives and estrogen products, which must be given to the patient with… |
| PPN | Peripheral parenteral nutrition | Short-term IV nutrition given through a peripheral vein, with a lower dextrose and amino acid concentration than TPN so that osmolarity stays within limits that… |
| PR | Prolonged release | European regulatory term for extended-release products, used in drug names on UK and EU labels such as tramadol PR and tacrolimus PR. |
| QL | Quantity limit | Restriction set by an insurance plan or PBM on how much of a drug it will cover in a period, such as a maximum number of tablets per month. |
| REMS | Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy | Drug safety program the FDA can require for medicines with serious risks, beyond normal labeling. |
| RLD | Reference listed drug | Approved drug product that a generic applicant must compare its product to when seeking approval through an ANDA. |
| RPh | Registered pharmacist | Licensed pharmacist authorized by a state board of pharmacy to dispense medications, counsel patients and oversee pharmacy operations. |
| SDV | Single-dose vial | Vial of injectable drug without preservative, meant to be used for one patient in a single procedure and then discarded, even if some drug remains. |
| SMI | Soft mist inhaler | Inhaler that uses a spring mechanism to create a slow-moving, fine mist from a liquid drug, without propellant. |
| sol | Solution | Liquid preparation in which the drug is completely dissolved in water, alcohol or another solvent, giving a uniform concentration without shaking. |
| SP | Specialty pharmacy | Pharmacy that dispenses high-cost, complex medications, such as biologics, oral cancer drugs and treatments for HIV, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis and rare diseases… |
| SR | Sustained release | Suffix for formulations that release drug gradually, as in Wellbutrin SR, Calan SR and diclofenac SR. |
| SS | Single strength | Label suffix for the standard-strength version of a product that also comes in a double-strength form, notably trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole SS (400 mg/80 mg), used for… |
| ST | Step therapy | Insurance requirement that a patient first try one or more lower-cost or preferred drugs, and have them fail or cause side effects, before the plan will cover a more… |
| supp | Suppository | Solid dosage form shaped for insertion into the rectum, vagina or, rarely, urethra, where it melts or dissolves at body temperature to release the drug. |
| susp | Suspension | Liquid dosage form in which fine, undissolved drug particles are dispersed in a vehicle, so the bottle must be shaken before each dose to get an even amount. |
| SWFI | Sterile water for injection | Pure, sterile, nonpyrogenic water without additives, used to reconstitute powdered drugs and as a diluent. |
| syr | Syrup | Concentrated, viscous sugar-based oral liquid used to deliver and flavor drugs, especially for children and cough remedies. |
| tab | Tablet | Solid oral dosage form made by compressing powdered drug with binders, fillers and disintegrants. |
| TNA | Total nutrient admixture | Parenteral nutrition formulation that combines dextrose, amino acids and lipid emulsion in a single bag, often called "3-in-1". |
| TPN | Total parenteral nutrition | Complete IV nutrition supplying all of a patient's needs (dextrose, amino acids, lipids, electrolytes, vitamins and trace elements) through a central venous catheter… |
| U&C | Usual and customary price | Price a pharmacy charges a cash-paying customer for a prescription. |
| UD | Unit dose | Packaging system in which each dose of a medicine is individually sealed and labeled with drug, strength, lot and barcode, ready to administer. |
| ung | Unguentum (ointment) | Latin pharmacy abbreviation for ointment, still seen on older prescriptions, compounding records and some European labels. |
| USP | United States Pharmacopeia | Independent nonprofit that sets public quality standards for medicines, dietary supplements and food ingredients in the US. |
| WAC | Wholesale acquisition cost | Manufacturer's list price for a drug sold to wholesalers or direct purchasers, before rebates, discounts or other price reductions. |
| XL | Extended length | Suffix on once-daily extended-release brands such as Wellbutrin XL, Toprol-XL, Procardia XL and Ditropan XL. |
| XR | Extended release | Brand-name suffix for extended-release products, as in Adderall XR, Seroquel XR, Glucophage XR and Effexor XR. |
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