Abbreviations Latin meaning English meaning
aa, āā, ĀĀ ana of each
AAA apply to affected area
a.c. ante cibum before meals
a.c.h.s., ante cibum et hora somni before meals and at bedtime
ac&hs
a.d. auris dextra right ear
ad., add. adde add
addatur let there be added
ad lib. ad libitum Latin, "at one's pleasure"; as much as
one desires; freely
admov. admove apply [or] add
admoveatur add; let there be added
ad us. ad usum according to custom
æq. Æquales Equal
agit. Agita agitate (stir or shake)
alt. d., alt. alternis diebus every other day; on alternate days
dieb.
alt. h., alt. hor. alternis horis every other hour; at alternate hours
a.m. ante meridiem morning, before noon
amp. Ampulla ampule (ampul, ampoule)
Amt Amount
aq. Aqua water
aq. bull. aqua bulliens boiling water
aq. com. aqua communis common water
aq. dest. aqua destillata distilled water
aq. ferv. aqua fervens hot water
a.l., a.s. auris laeva, auris sinistra left ear
ATC around the clock
a.u. auris utraque both ears
BDS, b.d.s. bis die sumendum twice daily
bib. Bibe Drink
Bis Bis Twice
b.i.d., b.d. bis in die twice daily
bis ind. bis indies twice a day
bis in 7 d. bis in septem diebus twice a week
BM bowel movement
BNF British National Formulary
bol. bolus as a large single dose
(usually intravenously)
BP, Ph.Br. Pharmacopoeia Britannica British Pharmacopoeia
BS blood sugar
BSA body surface area
b.t. bedtime
bucc. Bucca buccal (inside cheek)
cap., caps. Capsula capsule
cap. Capiat let him take (let the patient take)
c.m. cras mane tomorrow morning
c.m.s. cras mane sumendus to be taken tomorrow morning
c̄, c. Cum with (usually written with a bar on top of
the "c")
cib. Cibus food
c.c. cum cibos with food [or]
cubic centimetre
cf. Confer compare
c.n. cras nocte tomorrow night
cochl. Cochleare spoonful
cochl. ampl. cochleare amplum an ample spoonful (a tablespoonful)
cochl. infant. cochleare infantis a small spoonful (a teaspoonful)
cochl. mag. cochleare magnum a large spoonful (a tablespoonful)
cochl. mod. cochleare modicum a modest spoonful (a dessert-spoonful)
cochl. parv. cochleare parvum a scant spoonful (a teaspoonful)
colet. Coletur let it be strained
comp. compositus compound
contin. continuetur let it be continued
cpt. Capiat let him take (let the patient take)
cr., crm cream
CST continue same treatment
cuj. Cujus of which
c.v. cras vespere tomorrow evening
cyath. Cyathus a glassful
cyath. vinos. cyathus vinosus a wine-glassful
D, d. die [or] days [or]
dosis doses
D5LR dextrose 5% in lactated Ringer's
solution (intravenous sugar solution)
D5NS dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%)
(intravenous sugar solution)
D5W, D5W dextrose 5% in water (intravenous
sugar solution)
D10W, D10W dextrose 10% in water (intravenous
sugar solution)
da Da give
DAW dispense as written (i.e., no generic
substitution)
DC, dc, D/C, discontinue [or]
disc discharge
decoct. Decoctum decoction
det. Detur let it be given
dieb. alt. diebus alternis every other day; on alternate days
dil. dilute
dim. Dimidius one-half
d. in p. æ. divide in partes æquales divide into equal parts
disp. dispersible [or]
dispense
div. Divide divide; let it be divided
dL deciliter
DS double strength
d.t.d. dentur tales doses give of such doses
DTO deodorized tincture of opium
DW distilled water [or]
dextrose in water (intravenous sugar
solution)
elix. Elixir elixir
e.m.p. ex modo prescripto as directed (in the manner prescribed)
emuls. Emulsum emulsion
et Et and
EOD every other day
ex aq. ex aqua in water; with water
exhib. Exhibiatur let it be given
f Fiat make; let it be made
f.h. fiat haustus make a draught
fl., fld. Fluidus fluid (usually meaning
specifically liquid in health care)
f.m. fiat mistura make a mixture
f. pil. fiat pilula make a pill
f.s.a. fiat secundum artem make according to art
ft. Fiat make; let it be made
g, gm gram (modern SI symbol is g, not gm)
garg. gargarisma gargle
gr. Granum grain
gtt(s) gutta(e) drop(s)
gutt. gutta(e) drop(s)
H hypodermic
h, hr, hor. Hora hour
habt. Habeat let him have
hor. alt. hora alternis every other hour (every second hour; at
alternate hours)
hor. decub. hora decubitus at bedtime
hor. intermed. horis intermediis at intermediate hours
hor. tert. horis tertiis every third hour
h.s. hora somni (at the hour of at bedtime [or]
sleep) half-strength
IBW ideal body weight (for dosing based
on clearance estimation)
ID intradermal
IJ, inj. Injection injection
i.m., IM intramuscular
IN intranasal
ind. Indies daily
inf. Infusum infusion (extraction) / intravenous
infusion
i unus tabuletta one tablet
ii duo tabuletta two tablets
iii tres tabuletta three tablets
IO intraossseous
IP intraperitoneal
IT intrathecal
IU international unit
i.v., IV intravenous
i.v.p., IVP intravenous push
IVPB intravenous piggyback
kg kilogram
LAS label as such
lat. dol. lateri dolenti to the painful side
lb. Libra pound
l.c.d. liquor carbonis detergens coal tar solution
lin Linimentum liniment
liq. Liquor solution
lot. Lotio lotion
M., m. Misce mix
mane Mane in the morning
max. Maximum maximum
mcg microgram
mdi metered dose inhaler
m.d.u. more dicto utendus to be used as directed
mEq milliequivalent
mg milligram
mg/dL milligrams per deciliter
MgSO4 magnesium sulfate
midi at midday
min. minimum [or] minimum [or]
minim [or] minim [or]
minutum minute
mist. Mistura mixture
mit., mitt. Mitte number of tablets provided
mL millilitre
mod. modo præscripto in the manner directed
præscript.
MS morphine sulfate or magnesium sulfate
MSO4 morphine sulfate
nebul, neb. Nebula a spray (such as for insufflation)-
nebulizer
NMT not more than
noct. Nocte at night
non rep. non repetatur no repeats (no refills)
NPO, n.p.o. nil per os nothing by mouth
NS normal saline (0.9%)
1/2NS half-normal saline (0.45%)
NTE not to exceed
o 2, o2 both eyes
o.d. omni die every day (once daily) (preferred to "qd"
in the UK[9])
o.d. oculus dexter right eye
o.m. omni mane every morning
omn. bih. omni bihora every 2 hours
omn. hor. omni hora every hour
o.n. omni nocte every night
OPD once per day
o.s. oculus sinister left eye
o.u. oculus uterque both eyes
oz ounce
p. Perstetur Continue
part. æq. partes æquales equal parts
per Per by or through
p.c. post cibum after meals
p.c.h.s., post cibum et hora somni after meals and at bedtime
pc&hs
Ph.Br., BP Pharmacopoeia Britannica British Pharmacopoeia
Ph.Eur. Pharmacopoeia Europaea European Pharmacopoeia
Ph.Int. Pharmacopoeia International Pharmacopoeia
Internationalis
pig./pigm. pigmentum paint
p.m. post meridiem evening or afternoon
p.o. per os by mouth or orallyF
ppt. Præparata prepared
p.r., PR per rectum rectally
p.r.n., PRN pro re nata as needed
pt. Perstetur continue
pulv. Pulvis powder
p.v., PV per vaginam vaginally
q Quaque every, per
q.1 h, q.1° quaque 1 hora every 1 hour (can replace "1" with other
numbers)
q4PM at 4 pm (can replace "4" with other
numbers)
q.a.d. quaque alternis die every other day
q.a.m. quaque die ante meridiem every morning (every day before noon)
q.d./q.1.d. quaque die every day
q.d.a.m. quaque die ante meridiem once daily in the morning
q.d.p.m. quaque die post meridiem once daily in the evening
q.d.s. quater die sumendus 4 times a day
q.p.m. quaque die post meridiem every evening (every day after noon)
q.h. quaque hora every hour
q.h.s. quaque hora somni every night at bedtime
q.i.d. quater in die 4 times a day
q.l. quantum libet as much as is requisite
q.n. quaque nocte every night
q.o.d. quaque altera die every other day
q.q. Quaque every;[10] each
q.q.h. quater quaque hora every 4 hours
q.s. quantum sufficiat as much as suffices; a sufficient
(subjunctive), quantum quantity
sufficit (indicative),
quantum satis
q.s. a.d add up to
q.v. quantum volueris [or] at will [or]
quod vide which see
QWK every week
rep., rept. Repetatur repeats
RL, R/L Ringer's lactate
Rx, Rx, RX, ℞, recipe take (often effectively a noun meaning
Rp "prescription"—medical
prescription or prescription drug)
rep. Repetatur let it be repeated
s. Signa write (write on the label)
s.a. secundum artem according to the art (accepted practice
or best practice)
SC subcutaneous
sem. Semen seed
s.i.d. semel in die once a day
sig. signa, signetur write (write on the label)
s̄ Sine without (usually written with a bar on
top of the "s")
sing. singulorum of each
SL, s.l. sub lingua sublingually, under the tongue
SOB shortness of breath
sol. Solution solution
s.o.s., si op. si opus sit if there is a need
sit
s.s., SS Semisse one-half [or]
sliding scale
SSI sliding scale insulin or sliding scale
regular insulin
SQ subcutaneously
SSRI selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitor [or]
sliding scale regular insulin
st. Stet let it stand (for example, for settling)
stat Statim immediately
SubQ subcutaneously
sum. sumat [or] let him take [or]
sumendum let it be taken
supp. suppositorium suppository
susp. suspensio suspension
syr. Syrupus syrup
tab. Tabella tablet
tal., t. Talus such
tbsp tablespoon
t.d.s., TDS ter die sumendum 3 times a day
t.i.d., t.d. ter in die 3 times a day
tinct. tinctura tincture
t.i.w. 3 times a week
top. topical
TPN total parenteral nutrition
tr, tinc., tinct. tinctura tincture
trit. triturate grind to a powder
troch. trochiscus lozenge
tsp teaspoon
U unit
u.d., ut. dict. ut dictum as directed
ung. unguentum ointment
USP United States Pharmacopeia
vag. vagine vaginally
w with
w/a while awake
w/f with food (with meals)
w/o without
X, x times
YO, y.o. years old
μg microgram
@ at
> greater than
< less than
℔ libra pound
℥ uncia ounce
ʒ drachma dram (drachm)
℈ scrupulus scruple
° hour
