Approved Medical Abbreviations List and Sample Prescriptions

The following is a helpful list of Approved Medical Abbreviations used for reading and writing prescriptions. Please notice this list does NOT use periods in between the abbreviations, as periods can sometimes be mistaken for “i” or “o”.

IMPORTANT: Because we are using an older textbook, some of the medical abbreviations in this updated list are DIFFERENT than what is shown in the textbook.

For this course, do not use periods in between abbreviations when writing medication prescriptions.

Approved Medical Abbreviations List

a or ante

before

aa

of each

ac

before meals

ad

right ear

am

morning

APAP

acetaminophen

aq

aqueous

ASA

aspirin

as

left ear

au

each ear

bid

twice a day

c

with

C

cup

cap

capsule

cc

cubic centimeter

daw

dispense as written

dc

discountiue

disp

dispense

dx

diagnosis

ECASA

enteric coated aspirin

fluid drams

ʒ

drams

f℥

fluid ounces

℥ or oz

ounces

g or gm

gram

gal

gallon

gr

grain

gtt

drop

hs

at bedtime

IM

intramuscular

inj

injection

IV

intravenous

IVP

intravenous push

IVPB

intravenous piggyback

L

liter

lb

pound

mcg

microgram

meq

milliequivalent

mg

milligram

ml

milliliter

non rep

do not repeat

NPO

nothing by mouth

NR

no refill

od

right eye

os

left eye

ou

both eyes

oz

ounce

p

after

pc

after meals

pm

afternoon or evening

po

by mouth

pr

per rectum

prn

as needed

pt

pint

q

every

qday

every day

q1h

every hour

q4h

every four hours

q4-6h prn

every four to six hours as needed

q6h

every six hours

q6-8h prn

every six to eight hours as needed

q8h

every eight hours

q12h

every twelve hours

q24h

every twenty-four hours

q48h

every forty-eight hours

qhs

every bedtime

q30min

every thirty minutes

qid

four times a day

qmonth

every month

qod

every other day

qs

a sufficient quantity

qs ad

a sufficient quantity to make

qt

quart

qweek

every week

s

without

sig

write on label

sl

sublingual

stat

immediately

sc or sq

subcutaneous

sol

solution

supp

suppository

syr

syrup

tab

tablet

tbsp or T

tablespoon

tid

three times a day

tinct

tincture

tsp or t

teaspoon

ud

as directed

ung

ointment

wm

with meals

x

times

x1

one time

Example of drug directions written in the sig of a prescription.

Chart

Sometimes you will encounter medication orders written using Roman numerals.

Below is a review chart of those numerals. For this course, please use standard numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.), unless otherwise directed, when writing prescriptions.

Roman Numerals Standard Numbers
0.5
i 1
ii 2
iii 3
iv 4
v 5
vi 6
vii 7
viii 8
ix 9
x 10
xv 15
xx 20

It is always a good idea to review Roman numerals and be able to identify them quickly.

You never know when you might see them.

Picture taken at the 2020 Walt Disney World Marathon.

Below are samples of prescriptions written based on medical orders.

Medical order 1: Zofran four milligrams given intravenously every four hours as needed for nausea.

Prescription sample  1

Medical order #2: Liquid ten milligrams per five milliliter concentration. Give two and a half milliliters of Liquid by mouth every four hours. Dispense one bottle with no refills.

Prescription sample 2