Deciphering Your Prescription
Have you ever looked down at the prescription from your doctor and thought, “What in the world does this even mean?” It may just look like a bunch of random numbers and letters to you, but to health care providers, it’s another language for communication.
Doctors and other health care professionals use Latin-derived medical abbreviations when writing prescriptions or documenting in patient records. With so many patients to see and so little time, the use of abbreviations helps to save time and space when writing multiple prescriptions.
Here, we translate some of the most commonly used medical abbreviations:
M (Mitte) – Amount to give
i – 1 tablet
ii – 2 tablets
iii – 3 tablets
ss – Half tablet
R – Refills
QD – Once a day
BID – Twice a day
TID – Three times a day
QID – Four times a day
Q4-6H – Every 4 to 6 hours
AC – Before meals
CC – With meals
AM – In the morning
PM – In the evening
HS – At bedtime
PRN – As needed
UD – As directed
UF – Until finished
PO – Orally
PR – Rectally
SL – Sublingually (under the tongue)
SQ – Subcutaneously (under the skin)
TAB – Tablet
CAP – Capsule
GTT – Drop
SUPP – Suppository
CR – Cream
UNG – Ointment
D/C – Discontinue
Although most of these abbreviations are universally recognized, there are some that can be mistaken for others which may lead to detrimental errors during prescription entry. For example, “OD” means “right eye” but some physicians may also use it to indicate “once daily.” In addition, if it is handwritten, it could also be mistaken for “ad” meaning “right ear.” To prevent confusion and ambiguity, the ISMP (Institute for Safe Medication Practices) has provided a list of error-prone abbreviations which should be avoided at all costs.
Being able to read your prescription is a great skill that can help facilitate the dispensing process and prevent errors. By checking your prescription before leaving the doctor’s office, you can ensure that what is written on the prescription corresponds with what the doctor told you. If you catch a mistake at the doctor’s office, you can simply ask them to quickly fix it for you on the spot. On the other hand, if a mistake is caught at the pharmacy, the pharmacy will have to fax the doctor for a corrected prescription and wait for a response which may take some time. The next time you leave the doctor’s with a prescription in hand, try to see if you can decipher it! If you have any questions about your prescription, don’t hesitate to clarify it with the prescribing physician.
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Can you decipher the following prescription? Leave your answer in the comments below!

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References
List of error-prone abbreviations. ISMP. Updated October 2, 2017. Accessed December 19, 2020. https://www.ismp.org/recommendations/error-prone-abbreviations-list