pharmacology abbreviations

Parts of a prescription

Rx

Means “recipe to take”. It is the superscription

Inscription

The medication that the doctor ordered.

Subscription

Amount of medication the doctor ordered

sig.

Means “signature”. Directions on how to take the medication

DAW

Dispense as written

• narcotics always have DAW

DEA

Drug Enforcement Agency #

• Doctor renews DEA # every 2 years

At

@

Before meals

ac

Right ear

AD

Silver nitrate

AgNO3

Morning

am

Water

Aq

Left ear

AS

In each ear, both ears

AU

Barium

Ba

Twice a day

BID, bid

Capsule(s)

CAP(S)

Patient

Pt

Potassium

K

Kilogram

kg

Liter, left

L

Pound(s)

lb, LB(s)

Minimum

m, min

Milligram

mg, MG

Milliliter

ml, ML

Nothing by mouth

NPO

Every hour

qh

Every morning

qm

Left eye

OS

Right eye

OD

In each eye, both eyes

OU

After meals

pc

By mouth

po

As necessary, as needed

PRN

Intramuscular

IM

Injection

Inj

Intraveneous

IV

1, 2, 3 capsules, tabs, pills, and so on

T•, T••, T••• (on top of the T)

Against

Contra

Discontinue

DC

Dilute

Dil

Doses

Dos

Iron

Fe

Gram

G, g, Gm, gm

Drop

Gt

Drops

Gtt (s)

Drop by drop

Gutt

Hour

H

Hydrogen peroxide

H2O2

Hours of sleep/Bedtime

HS

Everyday

qd

Every hour

qh

Every (2, 3, 4) hours

q (2, 3, 4) hours

Every other day

qod, QOD

Right

R

Take, recipe

Rx

Subcutaneous

sc, sub

Write on label direction

Sig, S

Solution

sol

Immediately

Stat, STAT

Suppository

suppose

Tablespoon

T, tbsp

• 15ml=1tbsp

Tablet

TAB

Three times a day

tid

Teaspoon

tsp

Unit

u

Ointment

ung