Chronic Pain Today

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May 28 2008

How to Read Your Prescription

Published by tinasam at 9:36 am under living, pain management Edit This

Below are some of the more common RX abbreviations:

a.c.  before meals  ante cibum 
ad.lib.  freely as wanted  ad libitum 
aq.  water  aqua 
b.i.n.  twice a night  bis in noctus 
b.i.d.  twice a day  bis in die 
cap.  capsule  capula 
c with bar on top  with  cum 
d  day  dies 
daw  dispense as written (do not substitute generic or brand name drugs)   
div.  divide  divide 
eq.pts.  equal parts  equalis partis 
gtt  drop  gutta 
h.  hour  hora 
h.s.  bedtime  hora somni 
I.M.  into the muscle   
I.V.  into the vein   
mg  milligram   
ml  milliliter   
no.  number  numero 
noxt  at night   
O.  pint  octarius 
O.D.  right eye  oculo dextro 
O.S.  left eye  oculo sinistro 
O.U.  in each eye  oculo utro 
p.c.  after meals  post cibum 
p.o.  by mouth  per os 
p.r.n.  as needed  pro re nata 
pil  pill  pilula 
qh  every hour  quaque hora 
q 1 d  every day  quaque 1 die 
q 1 w  once a week   
q 3 h  every 3 hours  quaque 3 hora 
qAM  every morning   
qd  daily  quaque die 
q.i.d.  4 times a day  quater in die 
q.o.d.  every other day   
q.s.  a sufficient quantity  quantum sufficiat 
s  without  sine 
s.i.d.  once a day  semel in die 
Sig., S.  write on the label  signa 
s.l.  under the tongue   
stat  immediately  statim 
tab  tablet  tabella 
t.i.d.  3 times a day  ter in die 
tsp  teaspoon   
tbsp  tablespoon   
ut dict  as directed by doctor 

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4 Responses to “How to Read Your Prescription”

  1. reginaavaloson 28 May 2008 at 2:00 pm edit this

    So many abbreviations!

  2. katieanneon 29 May 2008 at 7:00 am edit this

    I usually find that when I get my meds that were prescribed by my neurologist the pharmacist scratches her head and then says “did he explain how he wanted you to take these”! Fortunately his explanations are obviously clearer than his writing!

  3. danaprinceon 30 May 2008 at 8:16 pm edit this

    Very helpful info, Thanks for sharing it. Definitely bookmark-worthy!

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