Prescription Abbreviations
77 abbreviations · part of Medical Abbreviations
Prescription abbreviations are the shorthand prescribers, pharmacists and nurses use to say how often, when and how much of a medicine to give, and to write the directions ("sig") printed on a pharmacy label. Many come from Latin, such as BID (bis in die) and PRN (pro re nata). Several look-alike forms, including QD, QOD, U and IU, are on The Joint Commission "Do Not Use" list, and others such as qhs, TIW and BIW appear on the ISMP list of error-prone abbreviations, so most hospitals now require the words to be written out.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| aa | Ana (of each) | Compounding notation meaning equal amounts of each of the preceding ingredients. |
| AC | Ante cibum (before meals) | Timing instruction to take a drug or perform a test before eating, usually about 30 minutes before a meal. |
| ACHS | Ante cibum et hora somni (before meals and at bedtime) | Combined timing instruction for four daily checks or doses: before breakfast, lunch and dinner plus bedtime. |
| ad lib. | Ad libitum (at one's pleasure) | Indicates freedom to improvise or to vary something as desired. |
| ATC | Around the clock | Dosing on a fixed schedule through the day and night, regardless of symptoms, so that drug levels never drop too low. |
| bd | Bis die (twice a day) | British and Commonwealth equivalent of the American BID, used on UK, Irish, Australian and Indian prescriptions and drug charts for two doses a day, usually morning and… |
| BID | Bis in die (twice a day) | Frequency meaning two doses in a 24-hour day, usually about 12 hours apart. |
| BIW | Twice a week | Dosing frequency of two times per week, used for some hormone patches, vitamin D regimens and injectables. |
| BT | Bedtime | Informal shorthand for the hour of sleep that earlier editions of the ISMP error-prone list included because "BT" has been misread as "BID", doubling the number of… |
| cc | Cubic centimeter | One cubic centimeter, exactly equal to one milliliter. |
| c̄ | Cum (with) | Medical shorthand meaning "with", written as a lowercase c with a bar over it in charts, prescriptions and handwritten notes, as in "take c̄ food". |
| D/C | Discontinue | Order to stop a medication, treatment, device or test, as in "D/C Foley" or "D/C heparin drip". |
| DAW | Dispense as written | Instruction that the pharmacy must dispense the exact brand or product named and may not substitute a generic equivalent. |
| Disp | Dispense | Prescription field stating the total quantity the pharmacist should hand over, such as a number of tablets, a volume or a number of inhalers. |
| dtd | Dentur tales doses (give such doses) | Latin prescription phrase telling the pharmacist to dispense a stated number of identical doses, each prepared as written. |
| EPCS | Electronic prescribing of controlled substances | E-prescribing of Schedule II to V drugs, which requires DEA-compliant software, identity proofing and two-factor authentication each time the prescriber signs. |
| eRx | Electronic prescription | Prescription created in the prescriber's software and transmitted directly to a pharmacy's computer system through a network such as Surescripts, replacing paper, phone… |
| gr | Grain | The smallest unit in the avoirdupois, troy and apothecary systems, exactly 64.79891 milligrams; 7,000 grains make a pound. |
| gtt/min | Drops per minute | Rate unit for gravity IV infusions, calculated from the volume to infuse, the time and the drop factor of the tubing (commonly 10, 15, 20 or 60 drops per mL). |
| HS | Hora somni (at bedtime) | Instruction to give a medicine at the hour of sleep. |
| IU | International unit | Unit of biological activity used for vitamins A, D and E and some hormones and blood products. "IU" is on The Joint Commission "Do Not Use" list because it has been… |
| LD | Loading dose | Initial larger dose given to reach a therapeutic drug level quickly, after which smaller maintenance doses keep it there. |
| mane | Mane (in the morning) | Latin instruction meaning "in the morning", used mainly on British, Irish and Australian prescriptions for once-daily doses best taken early, such as diuretics… |
| mcg | Microgram | One millionth of a gram, used for potent drugs, hormones and vitamins such as vitamin B12, vitamin D and folate. |
| mcg/kg/min | Micrograms per kilogram per minute | Weight-based infusion rate used for potent IV drugs such as dobutamine, dopamine, milrinone, nitroprusside and, in many hospitals, norepinephrine and epinephrine. |
| mEq | Milliequivalent | Unit expressing the amount of an electrolyte by its chemical combining power rather than its weight. |
| mg/kg | Milligrams per kilogram | Expression of a weight-based dose, standard in pediatrics, oncology, anesthesia and for many antibiotics. |
| mg/m2 | Milligrams per square meter | Dose expressed per square meter of body surface area (BSA), the standard basis for most chemotherapy and some other drugs whose clearance correlates with body size. |
| mL/h | Milliliters per hour | Rate unit for IV infusions programmed on infusion pumps, used for maintenance fluids and as the pump setting that delivers a drug's ordered dose. |
| nocte | Nocte (at night) | Latin word meaning "at night", common on UK, Irish, Australian and New Zealand prescriptions for evening or bedtime doses such as statins, sedatives and amitriptyline. |
| non rep | Non repetatur (do not repeat) | Latin instruction meaning the prescription must not be refilled. |
| NR | No refills | Notation on a prescription meaning it may be filled only once. |
| NTE | Not to exceed | Limit placed on a PRN or titrated order, stating the maximum dose per administration or per day. |
| OD | Omni die (once daily) | British and Commonwealth prescription abbreviation for a single daily dose, still seen on UK, Irish, Indian and Australian scripts. |
| OJ | Orange juice | Common shorthand for orange juice, a breakfast staple in the United States. |
| PC | Post cibum (after meals) | Timing instruction meaning a drug is taken after eating, typically to reduce stomach upset or improve absorption of fat-soluble drugs. |
| PRN | Pro re nata (as needed) | Dosing instruction meaning a medicine is given only when a specific need arises, such as pain, nausea or wheezing, rather than on a fixed schedule. |
| q.s. | Quantum sufficit (a sufficient quantity) | Compounding and prescription instruction to add as much of an ingredient as needed to reach a stated total, typically the vehicle or solvent. "q.s. ad 100 mL" means add… |
| q12h | Every 12 hours | Twice-daily dosing at strict 12-hour intervals, usually 0900 and 2100 or 0600 and 1800. |
| q1d | Once daily | Rare variant for a single daily dose that ISMP lists as error-prone because "q1d" can be misread as "qid" (four times daily), the same hazard that led to QD being banned. |
| q24h | Every 24 hours | Once-daily dosing at the same time each day, written as an interval when exact 24-hour spacing matters, such as aminoglycosides, ceftriaxone or medicines adjusted for… |
| q2h | Every 2 hours | Frequent interval dosing or monitoring, twelve times in 24 hours. |
| q2wk | Every 2 weeks | Dosing interval for many injectable biologics and long-acting medicines given once every 14 days, such as adalimumab 40 mg, evolocumab 140 mg and some long-acting… |
| q3h | Every 3 hours | Interval of three hours between doses, giving eight doses per day. |
| q4-6h | Every 4 to 6 hours | Range-interval order that lets the nurse give a PRN dose as often as every 4 hours or as seldom as every 6, usually for pain or fever. |
| q4h | Every 4 hours | Interval dosing that delivers six doses in 24 hours, used for short-acting analgesics, nebulized bronchodilators and frequent vital signs. |
| q5min | Every 5 minutes | Short repeat interval used for emergency and rescue medications, most often sublingual nitroglycerin for chest pain (up to three doses) and repeated vital sign checks… |
| q6h | Every 6 hours | Fixed interval producing four doses in 24 hours, spaced evenly through the night. |
| q72h | Every 72 hours | Interval of three days between doses, best known from transdermal fentanyl patches, which are changed every 72 hours. |
| q8h | Every 8 hours | Interval dosing with three evenly spaced doses per day, often at 0600, 1400 and 2200. |
| qAM | Every morning | Directs a once-daily dose to be taken in the morning, chosen for drugs such as diuretics, stimulants or corticosteroids whose effects would disturb sleep if given at… |
| QD | Quaque die (every day, once daily) | Once-daily dosing instruction that appears on The Joint Commission "Do Not Use" list. |
| qds | Quater die sumendum (to be taken four times a day) | UK and Commonwealth abbreviation for four doses daily, equivalent to the American QID. |
| qh | Quaque hora (every hour) | Hourly interval used mainly for monitoring orders such as neurological checks, vital signs or urine output in critically ill patients, and occasionally for medications… |
| QHS | Quaque hora somni (every night at bedtime) | Directs a dose to be taken nightly at bedtime, common for sleep aids, statins, some antidepressants and eye ointments. |
| QID | Quater in die (four times a day) | Frequency calling for four doses spread through the day, often with meals and at bedtime for oral drugs. |
| qn | Quaque nocte (every night) | Old Latin instruction for a nightly dose. |
| QOD | Quaque altera die (every other day) | Instruction to give a dose on alternate days, one of the forms banned on The Joint Commission "Do Not Use" list. |
| qPM | Every evening | Instruction to give a once-daily dose in the evening, used for drugs like some statins, anticoagulants dosed at supper or medicines that cause drowsiness. |
| qty | Quantity | Labels the number of units ordered, shipped or in stock on invoices, order forms, receipts, packing slips and shopping carts. |
| qwk | Every week (once weekly) | Weekly dosing interval used for drugs such as low-dose methotrexate, alendronate 70 mg and many injectable biologics or GLP-1 agonists. |
| Rf | Refills | Prescription field stating how many times a prescription may be refilled after the original fill. |
| Rx | Recipe (take; prescription) | Symbol heading every prescription and, by extension, everyday shorthand for a prescription, a prescription drug or medical treatment in general. "Rx only" on a US label… |
| s.o.s. | Si opus sit (if necessary) | Older Latin instruction meaning a dose may be given once if needed, for example for pain or sleeplessness. |
| Sig | Signa (write, label) | Section of a prescription containing the directions for use that the pharmacist translates onto the label, including dose, route, frequency, duration and purpose. |
| SS | Sliding scale | Shorthand for a dose that varies according to a measured value, most often insulin given according to a blood glucose reading. |
| SSI | Sliding scale insulin | Insulin dosing method in which the dose given before meals or at bedtime depends on the current blood glucose result, for example 2 units for 151-200 mg/dL and 4 units… |
| STAT | Statim (immediately) | Order priority meaning a medication, test or intervention must be done at once, ahead of routine work. |
| s̄ | Sine (without) | Charting and prescription shorthand meaning "without", written as an s with a bar above it, as in "s̄ food" or "chest pain s̄ radiation". |
| TDD | Total daily dose | Sum of all doses of a drug given in 24 hours, used especially for insulin and opioids. |
| tds | Ter die sumendum (to be taken three times a day) | British prescription abbreviation for three daily doses, the counterpart of the American TID. |
| TID | Ter in die (three times a day) | Instruction to give a drug three times in a day, usually spread across waking hours, for example with breakfast, lunch and dinner. |
| TIW | Three times a week | Weekly dosing schedule for drugs given on three nonconsecutive days, such as some interferon products, dialysis-session medications and certain antibiotics for… |
| U | Unit | Abbreviation for units, the measure used for insulin, heparin and some other biologic drugs. |
| UD | Ut dictum (as directed) | Shorthand for "as directed" that ISMP includes on its list of error-prone abbreviations. |
| ut dict | Ut dictum (as directed) | Latin instruction meaning the patient should take or use the medicine as previously explained. |
| x3d | For three days | Shorthand duration instruction that earlier editions of the ISMP error-prone list included because "x3d" has been read as "three doses". |
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