Abbreviations for Community Pharmacy Practice

a.

before

aa

of each

a.c., ac

before meals

a.d.

right ear

a.s.

left ear

a.u.

both ears

a.m.

morning, before noon

aq

water

aq. dest.

distilled water

b.i.d., BID

twice a day

caps.

capsule

c

with

cc

with meals, (also cubic centimeter/ millimeter)

d

day

d/c, DC

discontinue

d.t.d.

give of such doses

e.m.p.

in the manner prescribed

et

and

ex aq.

in water

ft.

make

Gm.

grams

gr.

grains

gt., gtt.

drop, drops

h, H, hr.

hour

h.s., HS

at bedtime

inj

injection

i.m., I.M., IM

intramuscularly 

m. dict.

as directed

mEq

milliequivalent

mg.

milligram

ml., mL.

milliliter

n.

nostril 

NKDA

no known drug allergies 

non. rep., NR

do not repeat, no refills 

NPO

nothing by mouth

o.d., O.D.

in the right eye

o.s., O.S., o.l.

in the left eye

o.u, O.U. 

each eye

oint.

ointment

p.c.

after meals

p.e.

equal parts

p.m. 

afternoon

p.o.

by mouth 

p.r.

rectally, by rectum 

p.r.n., PRN

as needed, as occasion arises

p.v.

vaginally, per vagina

q.d., QD

every day

q __ h 

every ___ hours

q.i.d., QID

four times a day

q.o.d., QOD

every other day

q.s., QS

a sufficient quantity

q.s. ad

a sufficient quantity to make

s.a.

according to the art

s.q., SubQ, s.c.

subcutaneously

SL

sublingual

ss

one half

s., w/o

without

stat., STAT

immediately

suppos

suppositories

susp.

suspension

syr.

syrup

tab

tablet

tbsp

tablespoon, tablespoonfuls

t.i.d., TID

three times a day 

top

topically

tsp.

teaspoon, teaspoonfuls

UD, ut. dict.

as directed

ung., ungt.

an ointment