Pharmacy Technology and Medical Math

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering prescription abbreviations, pharmacy technician practice areas, routes of administration, medication label terminology, and metric prefixes.

bid

Twice a day.

tid

Three times a day.

q.d.

Every day (from the Latin quaque die).

prn

As needed (from the Latin pro re nata).

stat

Immediately (from the Latin statim).

npo

Nothing by mouth.

po

By mouth.

q.s.

Quantity sufficient (from the Latin quantum sufficiat).

a.c.

Before meals.

p.c.

After meals (from the Latin post cibum).

q.h.s.

Every day at bedtime or every night (from the Latin quaque hora somni).

gtt

Drop or drops (from the Latin guttae).

ung

Ointment (from the Latin unguentum).

o.u.

Both eyes (from the Latin oculus uterque).

o.d.

Right eye.

o.s.

Left eye.

a.u.

Both ears (from the Latin aures utrae).

a.d.

Right ear (from the Latin auris dexter).

a.s.

Left ear (from the Latin auris sinistra).

Telepharmacy

A pharmacy where there is no pharmacist on site, connected to a central pharmacy through video and audio conferencing.

Compounding Pharmacy

A pharmacy branch where personnel combine various chemicals to formulate customized compounds, requiring sterile gear such as full gowns, hair nets, masks, and long boots.

NDC Number

National Drug Code number used by the FDA to identify drugs; the first numbers identify the labeler, middle numbers identify the product, and last numbers identify the package.

USP

United States Pharmacopeia; indicates that a medication has met rigorous quality and purity standards and holds an official seal of approval.

Generic Name

The active chemical ingredient of a medication, typically written in lowercase letters within parentheses, with only one unique name per drug.

Brand Name

The proprietary trade name assigned to a drug by its manufacturing company.

Dosage Strength

The amount or weight of active drug present within a specific supplied dosage form, written as a number alongside a unit of measurement.

Parenteral

A medication delivery method administered by injection rather than through the digestive system.

Sublingual (SL)

Medication administered by placement under the tongue, absorbing within $3-5\text{ mins}$.

Subcutaneous (SC / SQ / SubQ)

An injection delivered into the tissue just beneath the skin, taking $15-30\text{ mins}$ to absorb.

Intramuscular (IM)

An injection administered directly into a muscle, absorbing in $30-60\text{ seconds}$.

Intravenous (IV)

Medication injected directly into a vein, acting within $30-60\text{ seconds}$.

Intradermal (ID)

An injection administered into the dermis, directly beneath the epidermis.

Transdermal

Medication absorbed through the skin via an adhesive patch.

Ophthalmic

Medication applied directly to the surface of the eye.

Otic

Medication applied directly into the ear canal.

Enteric Coating

A special tablet coating designed to prevent the drug from dissolving or releasing until it reaches the intestines.

Six Rights of Medication Administration

The fundamental safety checks: right medication, right dose or amount, right patient, right time, right method/route of administration, and right documentation.

Kilo-

Metric prefix indicating a relationship of $1{,}000$ times the base unit.

Hecto-

Metric prefix indicating a relationship of $100$ times the base unit.

Deca-

Metric prefix indicating a relationship of $10$ times the base unit.

Deci-

Metric prefix indicating a relationship of $\frac{1}{10}$ of the base unit.

Centi-

Metric prefix indicating a relationship of $\frac{1}{100}$ of the base unit.

Milli-

Metric prefix indicating a relationship of $\frac{1}{1{,}000}$ of the base unit.

Micro-

Metric prefix indicating a relationship of $\frac{1}{1{,}000{,}000}$ of the base unit.

Military Time

A four-digit timekeeping method without a.m. or p.m. used to avoid medication errors, where the 12th hour represents noon and the 24th hour represents midnight.