Prescription Abbreviations

Front 1

aa

Back 1

of each

Front 2

ad

Back 2

up to

Front 3

a.c.

Back 3

before meals

Front 4

a.d.

Back 4

right ear (*commonly misread as o.d. for eyes, not ears

Front 5

ad lib.

Back 5

use as much as one desires; freely

Front 6

admov.

Back 6

apply

Front 7

agit

Back 7

stir/shake

Front 8

alt. h.

Back 8

every other hour

Front 9

a.m.

Back 9

morning, before noon

Front 10

amp

Back 10

ampule

Front 11

amt

Back 11

amount

Front 12

aq

Back 12

water

Front 13

a.l, a.s.

Back 13

left ear (*commonly misread for o.s. for eyes, not ears)

Front 14

A.T.C.

Back 14

around the clock

Front 15

a.u.

Back 15

both ears (*commonly misread as "o.u." for eyes, not ears)

Front 16

bis

Back 16

twice

Front 17

bid

Back 17

twice daily

Front 18

B.M.

Back 18

bowel movement

Front 19

bol.

Back 19

as a large single dose (usually IV)

Front 20

B.S.A.

Back 20

body surface area

Front 21

cap, caps

Back 21

capsule (s)

Front 22

cc

Back 22

with food; cubic centimeter

Front 23

cf

Back 23

with food

Front 24

c (bar over the "c")

Back 24

with

Front 25

comp.

Back 25

compound

Front 26

cr, crm

Back 26

cream

Front 27

D5W

Back 27

dextose 5% soln

Front 28

D5NS

Back 28

dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%)

Front 29

DAW

Back 29

dispense as written

Front 30

dc, D/C, disc

Back 30

discontinue (*can mean discharge or discontinue)

Front 31

dieb. alt.

Back 31

every other day

Front 32

dil.

Back 32

dilute

Front 33

disp.

Back 33

dispense

Front 34

div.

Back 34

divide

Front 35

d.t.d.

Back 35

give of such doses

Front 36

D.W.

Back 36

distilled water

Front 37

elix.

Back 37

elixir

Front 38

e.m.p.

Back 38

as directed

Front 39

emuls.

Back 39

emulsion

Front 40

et

Back 40

and

Front 41

ex aq

Back 41

in water

Front 42

fl, fld

Back 42

fluid

Front 43

ft

Back 43

make; let it be made

Front 44

g

Back 44

gram

Front 45

gr

Back 45

grain

Front 46

gtt(s)

Back 46

drop(s)

Front 47

H

Back 47

hypodermic

Front 48

h, hr

Back 48

hour

Front 49

h.s.

Back 49

at bedtime (*can mean half strength or "hour of sleep")

Front 50

ID

Back 50

intradermal

Front 51

IM

Back 51

intramuscularly (with respect to injections)

Front 52

inj

Back 52

injection

Front 53

IP

Back 53

intraperitoneal

Front 54

IV

Back 54

intravenous

Front 55

IVP

Back 55

intravenous push

Front 56

IVPB

Back 56

intravenous piggyback

Front 57

L.A.S.

Back 57

label as such

Front 58

LCD

Back 58

coal tar soln

Front 59

lin

Back 59

liniment

Front 60

liq

Back 60

solution

Front 61

lot

Back 61

lotion

Front 62

M

Back 62

mis

Front 63

m; min

Back 63

a minimum

Front 64

mcg

Back 64

microgram

Front 65

mEq

Back 65

microequivalent

Front 66

mg

Back 66

milligram

Front 67

mist

Back 67

mix

Front 68

mitte

Back 68

send

Front 69

mL

Back 69

milliliter

Front 70

nebul

Back 70

a spray

Front 71

N.M.T

Back 71

not more than

Front 72

noct

Back 72

at night

Front 73

non rep

Back 73

no repeats

Front 74

NS

Back 74

normal saline (0.9%)

Front 75

½NS

Back 75

one-half normal saline (0.45%)

Front 76

N.T.E

Back 76

not to exceed

Front 77

o_2

Back 77

both eyes

Front 78

o.d.

Back 78

right eye

Front 79

o.s.

Back 79

left eye

Front 80

o.u.

Back 80

both eyes

Front 81

oz

Back 81

ounce

Front 82

per

Back 82

by or through

Front 83

p.c.

Back 83

after meals

Front 84

p.m.

Back 84

evening or afternoon

Front 85

prn

Back 85

as needed

Front 86

p.o.

Back 86

by mouth or orally

Front 87

p.r.

Back 87

per rectum

Front 88

pulv

Back 88

powder

Front 89

q

Back 89

every

Front 90

q.a.d.

Back 90

every other day

Front 91

q.h.

Back 91

every hour

Front 92

q1h

Back 92

every 1 hour (can replace "1" with other numbers)

Front 93

q.d.

Back 93

every day (*commonly misinterpreted as q.i.d.)

Front 94

qid

Back 94

four times a day

Front 95

q.o.d.

Back 95

every other day (*"o" commonly mistaken as an "i" or "." which can result in double or eight times the frequency)

Front 96

q.s.

Back 96

quantity sufficient

Front 97

R

Back 97

rectal

Front 98

rep; rept

Back 98

repeats

Front 99

RL

Back 99

Ringer's Lactate

Front 100

s (written with a bar over the "s")

Back 100

without

Front 101

s.a.

Back 101

use your judgement

Front 102

SC; subc; subq; subcut

Back 102

subcutaneous (*commonly mistaken for SL)

Front 103

sig

Back 103

let it be marked (write on label)

Front 104

SL

Back 104

sublingually, under the tongue

Front 105

sol

Back 105

solution

Front 106

s.o.s.; si op; sit

Back 106

if there is a need

Front 107

ss

Back 107

one-half

Front 108

stat

Back 108

immediately

Front 109

supp

Back 109

suppository

Front 110

susp

Back 110

suspension

Front 111

syr

Back 111

syrup

Front 112

tab

Back 112

tablet

Front 113

tal; t

Back 113

such

Front 114

tbsp

Back 114

tablespoon

Front 115

troche

Back 115

lozenge

Front 116

tsp

Back 116

teaspoon

Front 117

tid

Back 117

three time a day

Front 118

tds

Back 118

three times a day

Front 119

tiw

Back 119

three times a week (*commonly mistaken for twice a week)

Front 120

top

Back 120

topical

Front 121

T.P.N.

Back 121

total parenteral nutrition

Front 122

tr; tinc; tinct

Back 122

tincture

Front 123

u.d.; ut. dict.

Back 123

as directed

Front 124

ung

Back 124

ointment

Front 125

U.S.P.

Back 125

United States Pharmacopoeia

Front 126

vag

Back 126

vaginally

Front 127

w

Back 127

with

Front 128

w/o

Back 128

without

Front 129

x

Back 129

times

Front 130

Y.O.; yo

Back 130

years old