Notes About

Abbreviation Meaning / Intended Meaning Category

Confusion

1/2NS one-half normal saline (0.45%) drug or class name

Better to spell out

drug name; can be
5-ASA 5-aminosalicylic acid misinterpreted as drug or class name
five tablets of aspirin
per FDA
a before time

A.M. morning time

aa of each measurement

abdominal aortic aneurysm
AAA
(called a "triple-A")
Can be
misinterpreted as
medical condition
'apply to affected
area'

Can be
misinterpreted as route of
AAA apply to affected area
'abdominal aortic administration
aneurysm'

ac before meals time

achs before meals and at bedtime time

route of
AD right ear
administration
ad lib freely; as much as desired time
ad sat. to saturation other

Caution not to
ad. to; up to confuse with AD measurement
(meaning right ear)

ALT alanine aminotransferase lab

alt. alternate time

alt. h. every other hour time

am, A.M. in the morning; before noon time

amp ampule dosage form

amt. amount measurement

ant. anterior other

ante before time

ap before dinner time

Better to spell out

APAP acetaminophen drug name drug or class name
"acetaminophen"
activated partial
aPTT lab
thromboplastin
AQ, aq water other
route of
a.s., AS left ear
administration

Better to spell out

ASA aspirin drug or class name
drug name "aspirin"

AST aspartate aminotransferase lab

ATC around the clock time
route of
AU each ear; both ears
administration

Better to spell drug

name out; can be
AZT zidovudine drug or class name
misinterpreted as
azathioprine per FDA

Ba barium drug or class name

BCP birth control pills drug or class name

Bi bismuth drug or class name

bid, BID twice a day time

BM bowel movement other

BMI body mass index vitals

bol bolus measurement

BP blood pressure vitals

BPH benign prostatic hypertrophy medical condition

BS blood sugar lab

BSA body surface area vitals

In U.S., 'hs' or 'HS' is
BT bedtime more commonly time
used for bedtime
c with other
C.C. chief complaint other
c/o complaints of other
C&S culture and sensitivity lab
CABG coronary artery bypass graft other

CaCO3 calcium carbonate drug or class name

CAD coronary artery disease medical condition

Do not confuse with

CAP cancer of the prostate medical condition
"capsule"
Do not confuse with
cap. capsule "cancer of the dosage form
prostate"
CBC complete blood count lab
Can also mean "with
cc cubic centimeter measurement
food"
drug release
CD controlled delivery
technology

CF cystic fibrosis medical condition

cm centimeter measurement
CNS central nervous system other

conc concentrated other

Better to spell drug

name out; can be
CPZ Compazine misinterpreted as drug or class name
chlorpromazine per
FDA

drug release
CR controlled-release
technology

cr, crm cream dosage form

CV cardiovascular other

CXR chest x-ray lab

Multiple possible
meanings; spell out
D/C, dc, disc. discontinue OR discharge other
instead of using
"D/C"
5% dextrose and normal saline
D5/0.9 NaCl drug or class name
solution (0.9% NaCl)

5% dextrose and half normal

D5 1/2/NS drug or class name
saline solution (0.45% NaCl)

dextrose 5% in normal saline

D5NS drug or class name
(0.9%)

D5W 5% dextrose in water drug or class name

DAW dispense as written other

DBP diastolic blood pressure lab
dil. diluted other

disp dispense other

div divide other

DKA diabetic ketoacidosis medical condition

dL deciliter measurement

DM diabetes mellitus medical condition

Doctor of Osteopathic
DO medical specialty
Medicine

DOB date of birth other

Better to spell out

vaccine name; can
DPT diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus be misinterpreted as drug or class name
Demerol-Phenergan-
Thorazine per FDA

drug release
DR delayed-release
technology

DVT deep vein thrombosis medical condition

Multiple possible
dextrose in water, diabetes meanings; spell out
DW other
mellitus or distilled water instead of using
"DW"
drug release
EC enteric-coated
technology
EENT Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Medical Specialty

elix. elixir dosage form

emuls. emulsion dosage form

Can also mean drug release

ER extended-release
"emergency room" technology
 Can also mean
ER emergency room other
"extended-release"

ETOH ethyl alcohol drug or class name

F Fahrenheit lab

f or F female other
FBS fasting blood sugar lab

FDA Food and Drug Administration other

drug or class name

Fe Iron
or lab

FFP fresh frozen plasma drug or class name

fl or fld fluid measurement

ft foot measurement
"g" is preferred
G, or g, or gm gram measurement
symbol
route of
garg gargle
administration
gastroesophageal reflux
GERD medical condition
disease
GI gastrointestinal other

Apothecary
measurement
gr. grain (obsolete and may measurement
be misinterpreted as
gram; do not use)

Can be confused
GTT glucose tolerance test lab
with gtt for drops

Can be confused
gtt, gtts drop, drops with GTT for glucose measurement
tolerance test

GU genitourinary other
guttat. drop by drop measurement

h, or hr. hour time

h/o history of other

H&H hematocrit and hemoglobin lab

H2 histamine 2 other

H20 water other

highly active antiretroviral
HAART drug or class name
therapy

HCT, or Hct hematocrit lab

Better to spell out

drug name; can be
HCT hydrocortisone misinterpreted as drug or class name
hydrochlorothiazide
per FDA

Better to spell out

drug name; can be
HCTZ hydrochlorothiazide misinterpreted as drug or class name
hydrocortisone per
FDA

HR heart rate vitals

better to spell out;

HS half-strength do not mistake for measurement
"bedtime"

Do not misinterpret
hs or HS at bedtime, hours of sleep time
as 'half-strength'

HTN hypertension medical condition

hx history other

IBW ideal body weight lab

 Multiple possible
route of
intradermal OR infectious meanings; spell out
ID administration;
disease word instead of
other
using "ID"
better to spell out route of
IJ injection
'injection' administration
route of
IM intramuscular
administration
route of
IN intranasal
administration
route of
inf infusion
administration
route of
inj. injection
administration
route of
instill. instillation
administration
route of
IP intraperitoneal
administration
drug release
IR immediate-release
technology

Mistaken as IV
(intravenous) or 10
(ten); Instead spell
IU international unit out "units" per Joint measurement
Commission's "Do
Not Use" List of
Abbreviations

IUD intrauterine device dosage form

route of
IV intravenous
administration
Could be confused
route of
IVP intravenous push with 'intravenous
administration
pyelogram'
route of
IVPB intravenous piggyback
administration
J joule lab
K potassium drug or class name

KOH potassium hydroxide drug or class name

L liter measurement
drug release
LA long-acting
technology

lab laboratory other

lb. pound measurement

LDL low-density lipoprotein lab

LFT liver function tests lab

Li lithium drug or class name

liq. liquid dosage form

LMP last menstrual period other

lot lotion dosage form
LPN licensed practical nurse medical specialty

LR lactated ringer (solution) drug or class name

mane in the morning time

Can be
misinterpreted to
mcg microgram mean "mg" or measurement
milligram, better to
spell out 'microgram'

MD medical doctor medical specialty

MDI metered-dose inhaler dosage form
mEq milliequivalent measurement
mEq/L milliequivalent per liter measurement

Mg magnesium drug or class name

mg milligram measurement
 May be confused
with "MSO4"
(morphine sulfate),
spell out
MgSO4 magnesium sulfate drug or class name
"magnesium sulfate"
- Joint Commission's
"Do Not Use" List of
Abbreviations

mL milliliter measurement

mm millimeter measurement

mm of Hg millimeters of mercury measurement

mMol millimole measurement

measle-mumps-rubella
MMR drug or class name
(vaccine)
mol wt molecular weight measurement
drug release
MR modified-release
technology

Can mean either

morphine sulfate or
magnesium sulfate,
morphine sulfate or
MS spell out drug name drug or class name
magnesium sulfate
- Joint Commission's
"Do Not Use" List of
Abbreviations

May be confused
with "MgSO4";
instead spell out
MSO4 morphine sulfate "morphine sulfate" - drug or class name
Joint Commission's
"Do Not Use" List of
Abbreviations

n or noct. in the night time

N/A not applicable other

N/V, N&V nausea and vomiting other

lab or drug or class

Na sodium
name
route of
NAS intranasal
administration
NDC National Drug Code other
route of
NGT nasogastric tube
administration
NH3 ammonia other
NKA no known allergies other
NKDA no known drug allergies other
noct. maneq. night and morning time
NP nurse practitioner medical specialty

Preferred by AMA to
route of
NPO, n.p.o. nothing by mouth spell out "nothing by
administration
mouth"

NS normal saline drug or class name

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
NSAID drug or class name
drug

NTE not to exceed other

O2 oxygen other

OC oral contraceptive drug or class name

Can also mean route of

"overdose" or "once administration,
o.d., OD right eye
daily"; better to spell ophthalmic
out abbreviations
 Preferred in the UK;
Can also mean
o.d. once per day "overdose" or "right time
eye"; better to spell
out

OJ orange juice other

OM otitis media medical condition

route of
administration,
o.s., OS left eye
ophthalmic
abbreviations

OTC over-the-counter other

route of
administration,
o.u., OU both eyes
ophthalmic
abbreviations

oz ounce measurement

p after time

p.r.n., prn as needed time

PA physician assistant medical specialty

pc after meals time

PCA patient-controlled analgesia other

physical exam, pulmonary

PE other
embolism
 route of
per by or through
administration
route of
per neb by nebulizer
administration

AMA prefers to spell

out "by mouth" or
"orally"; can be route of
per os by mouth, orally
mistaken as "os" administration
meaning left eye per
FDA
PFT pulmonary function tests lab
pH hydrogen ion concentration other
PharmD Doctor of Pharmacy medical specialty

PM evening time

PMH past medical history other

AMA prefers to spell
route of
PO, p.o. orally or by mouth out "by mouth" or
administration
"orally"
route of
PR, p.r. per the rectum
administration
PT prothrombin time lab
PTT partial thromboplastin time lab

pulv powder dosage form

route of
PV per the vagina
administration
q every time
as much as needed; a sufficient
q.s., qs measurement
quantity

q12h every 12 hours time

qd, q1d daily time

q2h every 2 hours time

q3h every 3 hours time

q4h every 4 hours time

q6h every 6 hours time

q6PM, etc every evening at 6 PM time

q8h every 8 hours time

qam every morning time

Mistaken as q.i.d;
Instead write "daily"
or "every day" per
qd, QD every day time
Joint Commission's
"Do Not Use" List of
Abbreviations

qh every hour time

Can be confused
with "qh" meaning
qhs each night at bedtime time
every hour; better to
spell out

qid four times a day time

Not commonly used

in U.S.; 'hs' more
qn Nightly or at bedtime time
common for
bedtime
 Can be mistaken as
qd (daily) or qid
(four times daily);
Instead spell out
qod, QOD, q.o.d every other day time
"every other day" per
Joint Commission's
"Do Not Use" List of
Abbreviations

q.s. ad add sufficient quantity to make measurement

RA rheumatoid arthritis medical condition

RDA recommended daily allowances other

route of
administration,
RE right eye
ophthalmic
abbreviations

rep repeats time

RN registered nurse medical specialty

RPh pharmacist medical specialty
Rx prescription other
s without other
s.o.s. if necessary other
according to the art; best
sa other
practice
drug release
SA sustained action
technology
SBP systolic blood pressure vital sign

Used ONLY in Veterinary
SID
medicine to mean "once daily"
Can be confused to
mean BID (twice
daily) and QID (four time; used in
times daily); Veterinary medicine
pharmacists should ONLY
clarify abbreviations
with DVM, if needed.
 medical or prescription
sig codes other
abbreviations
Sig. write on label other
route of
SL, s.l. sublingual, under the tongue
administration
serotonin/norepinephrine
SNRI drug or class name
reuptake inhibitor
SOB shortness of breath other
sol solution; in solution dosage form
sp gr specific gravity lab

Use caution as "SC"

can be mistaken for route of
SQ, SC, sub q subcutaneously
"SL," meaning administration
sublingual per FDA

drug release
SR sustained release
technology
Use caution; can be
misinterpreted;
sliding scale (insulin) OR 1/2
ss better to spell out other
(apothecary; obsolete)
"sliding scale" or
"one-half"
SSI Sliding scale insulin other
sliding scale regular insulin OR
Spell out words to
SSRI selective serotonin reuptake other
avoid confusion
inhibitor
stat immediately time

STD sexually transmitted diseases medical condition

sup. superior other

supf. superficial other
supp suppository dosage form
susp suspension dosage form
syr. syrup dosage form
T temperature vital sign
tab tablet dosage form
tbsp tablespoon measurement

TIA transient ischemic attack medical condition

TID, t.i.d. three times a day time

tid ac three times a day before meals time

TIN, t.i.n. three times a night time

tinct., tr tincture dosage form
Spell out; can be
TIW, tiw 3 times a week confused with TID time
(three times a day)
route of
top. topical
administration
TO telephone order

TPN total parenteral nutrition drug or class name

drug release
TR timed-release
technology
troche lozenge dosage form

TSH thyroid stimulating hormone lab

tsp teaspoon measurement

Tx treatment other

Mistaken as the
number "0" (zero),
the number "4"
(four), or "cc".
Prescriber should
U or u unit measurement
instead spell out
"unit" per Joint
Commission's "Do
Not Use" List of
Abbreviations

UA urinalysis lab
ud, ut dict, UD as directed other
ung ointment dosage form

UTI urinary tract infection medical condition

route of
vag, pv via the vagina
administration
VLDL very low density lipoprotein lab
vol % volume percent measurement
vol. volume measurement
w/o without other
w/v weight in volume measurement
WBC white blood cell lab
WNL within normal limits lab
wt. weight vital sign
x multiplied by other
drug release
XL extended-release
technology
drug release
XR extended-release
technology
drug release
XT extended-release
technology
yo years old other
yr year time

drug or class drug

Zn zinc
or class name

μEq microequivalent measurement

μg or mcg can be
misinterpreted as
μg, mcg microgram measurement
"mg", better to spell
out 'microgram'

μL microliter measurement