| Prescription Drugs: Cracking the Code A prescription is an order provided by a doctor so that someone else, usually a pharmacist, can provide us with a drug or device to improve our health. As I’ve written before, prescription mistakes are too frequently made. Unwary patients have gotten sicker and died from prescription errors. Sharp patients know to review their prescriptions carefully with their doctors to be sure they understand what the order is, why the doctor thinks it will help, what to expect while taking the drug or using the device, and how to comply with the order. Unfortunately, written prescriptions can be very confusing because they often contain shorthand, acronyms and abbreviations, many based in Latin. Here are some guidelines for understanding written prescriptions. Your prescriptions should note the following: your name and address, the date, the name of the drug, the dosage strength and form (for example, tablets, capsules, liquid), the amount to be dispensed, directions for taking or applying the drug, the number of refills, plus the doctor’s identification information. If any of that information is missing, ask your doctor to fill it in. You may find abbreviations that are unfamiliar. Here are a few of them: b.i.d., from the Latin bis in die, means the drug should be taken twice a dayt.i.d. also comes from the Latin ter in die, means take the drug three times a daya.c., from the Latin ante cibum, means to take the drug before a meal p.c. from post cibum, means to take the drug after a meal d-a-w is an English acronym and means "dispense as written" which is an instruction to the pharmacist not to substitute a generic drugA master list of prescription abbreviations and some more links are listed below.When you pick up the prescription at your pharmacy, plan to review it once again, this time with your pharmacist, to be sure the prescription was accurately dispensed. If you have further questions, your pharmacist may be able to answer them. If not, get back in touch with your doctor’s office for clarification. Sharp patients know to review the details of any orders the doctor gives them. Knowing the basics of a written prescription can help us better understand how it will help us, what effects we can expect from taking the drug, and what we need to do to comply with the doctor’s orders. Want to talk about this column?
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© 2007 Trisha Torrey Here are some links to help you learn more about reading your doctor's prescription: Definition of Prescription Abbreviations from MedicineNet Making it Easier to Read Prescriptions from the FDA Joint Commission's list of DO NOT USE abbreviations. Here is a partial list of prescription abbreviations:
| Abbreviation | From the Latin | Meaning |
|---|
| aa | ana | of each | | ad | ad | up to | | a.c. | ante cibum | before meals | | a.d. | aurio dextra | right ear | | ad lib. | ad libitum | use as much as one desires; freely | | admov. | admove | apply | | agit | agita | stir/shake | | alt. h. | alternis horis | every other hour | | a.m. | ante meridiem | morning, before noon | | amp | | ampule | | amt | | amount | | aq | aqua | water | | a.l., a.s. | aurio laeva, aurio sinister | left ear | | A.T.C. | | around the clock | | a.u. | auris utrae | both ears | | bis | bis | twice | | b.i.d. | bis in die | twice daily | | B.M. | | bowel movement | | bol. | bolus | as a large single dose (usually intravenously) | | B.S. | | blood sugar | | B.S.A | | body surface areas | | cap., caps. | capsula | capsule | | c | cum | with (usually written with a bar on top of the "c") | | c | cibos | food | | cc | cum cibos | with food, (but also cubic centimetre) | | cf | | with food | | comp. | | compound | | cr., crm | | cream | | D5W | | dextrose 5% solution (sometimes written as D5W) | | D5NS | | dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%) | | D.A.W. | | dispense as written | | dc, D/C, disc | | discontinue | | dieb. alt. | diebus alternis | every other day | | dil. | | dilute | | disp. | | dispense | | div. | | divide | | d.t.d. | dentur tales doses | give of such doses | | D.W. | | distilled water | | elix. | | elixir | | e.m.p. | ex modo prescripto | as directed | | emuls. | emulsum | emulsion | | et | et | and | | ex aq | ex aqua | in water | | fl., fld. | | fluid | | ft. | fiat | make; let it be made | | g | | gram | | gr | | grain | | gtt(s) | gutta(e) | drop(s) | | H | | hypodermic | | h, hr | hora | hour | | h.s. | hora somni | at bedtime | | ID | | intradermal | | IM | | intramuscular (with respect to injections) | | inj. | injectio | injection | | IP | | intraperitoneal | | IV | | intravenous | | IVP | | intravenous push | | IVPB | | intravenous piggyback | | L.A.S. | | label as such | | LCD | | coal tar solution | | lin | linimentum | liniment | | liq | liquor | solution | | lot. | | lotion | | M. | misce | mix | | m, min | minimum | a minimum | | mcg | | microgram | | mEq | | milliequivalent | | mg | | milligram | | mist. | mistura | mix | | mitte | mitte | send | | mL | | millilitre | | nebul | nebula | a spray | | N.M.T. | | not more than | | noct. | nocte | at night | | non rep. | non repetatur | no repeats | | NS | | normal saline (0.9%) | | 1/2NS | | half normal saline (0.45%) | | N.T.E. | | not to exceed | | o_2 | | both eyes, sometimes written as o2 | | o.d. | oculus dexter | right eye | | o.s. | oculus sinister | left eye | | o.u. | oculus uterque | both eyes | | oz | | ounce | | per | per | by or through | | p.c. | post cibum | after meals | | p.m. | post meridiem | evening or afternoon | | prn | pro re nata | as needed | | p.o. | per os | by mouth or orally | | p.r. | | by rectum | | pulv. | pulvis | powder | | q | quaque | every | | q.a.d. | quoque alternis die | every other day | | q.a.m. | quaque die ante meridiem | every day before noon | | q.h. | quaque hora | every hour | | q.h.s. | quaque hora somni | every night at bedtime | | q.1h | quaque 1 hora | every 1 hour; (can replace "1" with other numbers) | | q.d. | quaque die | every day | | q.i.d. | quater in die | four times a day | | q.o.d. | | every other day | | qqh | quater quaque hora | every four hours | | q.s. | quantum sufficiat | a sufficient quantity | | R | | rectal | | rep., rept. | repetatur | repeats | | RL, R/L | | Ringer's lactate | | s | sine | without (usually written with a bar on top of the "s") | | s.a. | secundum artum | use your judgement | | SC, subc, subq, subcut | | subcutaneous | | sig | | write on label | | SL | | sublingually, under the tongue | | sol | solutio | solution | | s.o.s., si op. sit | si opus sit | if there is a need | | ss | semis | one half | | stat | statim | immediately | | supp | suppositorium | suppository | | susp | | suspension | | syr | syrupus | syrup | | tab | tabella | tablet | | tal., t | talus | such | | tbsp | | tablespoon | | troche | trochiscus | lozenge | | tsp | | teaspoon | | t.i.d. | ter in die | three times a day | | t.d.s. | ter die sumendum | three times a day | | t.i.w. | | three times a week | | top. | | topical | | T.P.N. | | total parenteral nutrition | | tr, tinc., tinct. | | tincture | | u.d., ut. dict. | ut dictum | as directed | | ung. | unguentum | ointment | | U.S.P. | | United States Pharmacopoeia | | vag | | vaginally | | w | | with | | w/o | | without | | X | | times | | Y.O. | | years old |
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