Prescription Abbreviations and Roman Numerals

Flashcards covering pharmacy and medical prescription abbreviations, dosing frequencies, routes of administration, ISMP do-not-use list items, and Roman numerals.

Mitte or M:

Dispense, send

am

morning/before noon

pm

Evening/after noon

hs

At bedtime

prn

when required or when needed

bid

twice daily

tid

three times daily

qid

four times daily

q#h

every # hours (# = any number)

stat

at once/immediately

PO

by mouth or orally

PR

rectally

PV

vaginally

IM

intramuscular

IV

intravenous

SC or SQ

subcutaneous

SL

Sublingually (dissolve under the tongue)

U (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Units. Common errors: Mistaken for O, or numeral 0 (zero).

IU (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: International Units. Common errors: Mistaken for numeral 10, or IV.

ug or μg (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Micrograms. Common errors: Mistaken for mg (milligrams).

cc (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Cubic centimetre. Common errors: Mistaken for numeral 00, or ‘u’.

OD, QD (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Every day. Common errors: Mistaken for numeral 00, right eye or four times per day.

QOD, EOD (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Every other day. Common errors: Mistaken for four times per day, or once daily.

D, d (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Days or doses. Common errors: Mistaken for each other of the number 0.

x/7, y/52 (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Number of days or number of weeks. Common errors: Mistaken as number of weeks, years or days.

AS, AD, AU (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Left ear, right ear, both ears. Common errors: Mistaken for left eye, right eye, both eyes or mistaken for each other.

OS, OD, OU (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Left eye, right eye, both eyes. Common errors: Mistaken for left ear, right ear, both ears or mistaken for one another. OD for once daily.

< > (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Less than or greater than. Common errors: Mistaken for the opposite than intended or for numbers.

X.0 (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Trailing zero. Common errors: Mistaken for 10 times greater than intended due to decimal point not recognized. Never use zeroes after a decimal point.

.X (ISMP Do Not Use)

Intended meaning: Lack of leading zero. Common errors: Mistaken for 10 times greater than intended due to decimal point not recognized. Always use a zero before a decimal point.

ss (Roman Numeral)

half

I or i (Roman Numeral)

one

iv (Roman Numeral)

four. Caution: Can be mistaken as intravenous.

V or v (Roman Numeral)

five

X or x (Roman Numeral)

ten. Caution: Can be mistaken as “times”.

L or l (Roman Numeral)

fifty. Caution: Can be mistaken as ONE.

C or c (Roman Numeral)

100. Caution: Can be mistaken as “cc”, “units” or “with”.

D or d (Roman Numeral)

500. Caution: Can be mistaken as “daily”.

aa

of each

ad

to, up to

aq or aqua

water

c̄

with

c

food

cap

capsule

gm or g

gram

gtt or gtts

drop or drops

MDI

multi-dose inhaler

opth

ophthalmic

pc

after meals

qam

every morning

q

every or each

q1-2h

every 1 to 2 hours (1 & 2 can be substituted with any #)

qs

sufficient quantity

qs ad

a sufficient quantity to make

Rx

take or prescription

sig

write on label/directions

SOB

shortness of breath

supp

suppository

sx

symptoms

tab

a tablet

tx

treatment

ung or ungt

ointment

ut dict or ud

as directed

uf

until finished