| 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
day
t.i.d. also comes from the
Latin ter in die,
means take the drug three
times a day
a.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 drug
A
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.
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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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