A Glossary of Common Prescription Abbreviations

Does it ever seem to you that every physician must have taken a course in medical school called "How to Write in Chicken-Scratch"? Physicians are notorious for having incomprehensibly poor penmanship. While you may not worry about having to read their notes in your medical chart, you may be more worried about a pharmacist being able to read their prescriptions for you. Once you get your prescription, you may not understand all of the abbreviations and notations on the label. If you don't, you might find the following glossary helpful.

a.c.: before meals, from the Latin "ante cibum"
ad lib: use as much as one desires, from the Latin "ad libitum"
b.i.d.: twice a day, from the Latin "bis in die"
caps: capsules
da or daw: "dispense as written.
g or gm or GM: gram
gtt.: drops, from the Latin "guttae"
h: hour
mg: milligram
ml: milliliter
pc: after meals, from the Latin "post cibum"
p.o.: by mouth, or orally, from the Latin "per os"
p.r.n.: when necessary, or as circumstances require, from the Latin "pro re nata"
q.d.: once a day, from the Latin "quaque die"
q.i.d.: four times a day, from the Latin "quater in die"
q.h.: used where a medicine has to be taken every so-many hours, from the Latin "quaque," meaning
"every," and "h" indicating the number of hours

Examples:
q.h.: every hour
q.2h.: every two hours
q.3h.: every three hours
q.4h.: every four hours

R or Rx: recipe, which means, in Latin, "to take"
s: signa mark, often used at the beginning of a prescription to signify the
directions to be marked on the container
t.i.d.: three times a day, from the Latin "ter in die"
ut dict.: as directed, from the Latin "ut dictum"

Smarts, Safety, and Prescriptions

Prescription medications can be beneficial, while at the same time they may be dangerous. If you abuse prescription medications or fail to take them correctly you may have a serious adverse reaction. While your doctor is responsible for prescribing the right medication, and your pharmacist is in charge of filling the prescription, you are responsible for taking the medications and assisting your doctor and pharmacist in any way that you can. Here are some tips on how you can fulfill those responsibilities.

• Make sure that your physicians know what medications you are on, including over-the-counter medications and alternative medicines. If your physician is contemplating prescribing medications to you, he or she needs to make sure that they won't have a dangerous reaction with any other medications you are taking.

• If possible, keep all of your medical care in the same group or practice so your physician can easily access your medical information and review your prescription medications. If you have to see other physicians or specialists, make sure that they receive your chart from your primary care physician, or ask them to speak with your primary care physician before prescribing any medications.

• Keep track of your medications by making a list of their names and the instructions for their use. This may be particularly beneficial if you are on many different types of medications for many different conditions. Keep the list in a place where you can refer to it easily.

• Consider placing a smaller version of your medications list in your purse or wallet. That way, you will be able to reference it if you are not at home and a question arises regarding what medications you are on.