Understanding Prescription Abbreviations

Understanding Prescription Abbreviations You may have seen prescription abbreviations like qd hs or bid on your medication labels These abbreviations are derived from the Latin words for every day at bedtime and twice daily respectively rnrn Perhaps one of the most common is Rx the official symbol for prescription Thought to be derived from the Latin word for recipe this abbreviation relays to pharmacists that a prescription is authorized to be filled rnrn Your pharmacy will translate your healthcare providers instructions on the medicines label Sometimes a mistake can happen and a shorthand abbreviation will appear on your medication Heres a list of common abbreviations and the ones youre most likely to see on home medications rnrnVerywell Ellen Lindnerrnrn Rx is an abbreviation for prescription In the US it is believed thatthe origin of the symbol is an abbreviation of the Latin word for recipe which means take rnrn In Europe another suggestion of the origin of the symbol appears to represent the astronomical sign of the planet Jupiter rnrn According to another theory the Rx symbol is based on the Roman deity Jupiter Jupiters symbol looked similar to the Rx symbol The symbol may have been placed on a prescription to invoke Jupiters blessing rnrnPx and Rx are often confused for one another However Px does not mean prescription like Rx does Depending on where it is used Px can be a shorthand for prognosis or for procedure code As a procedure code Px will precede a numerical code that represents a specific medical procedure indicated for a patientrnrn Here is an example of what a healthcare provider might write on a prescription rnrn Sig tab po qid pc hs rnrn These abbreviations are instructions for taking the medication The pharmacist will translate them for the medication label In this case the instructions will read Take one tablet by mouth four times a day after meals and at bedtime rnrnThe abbreviations may be written in capital letters or small letters and may or may not include periodsrnrn It is unlikely that you will see Latinbased prescription abbreviations for medications you take at home If they are on your prescription your pharmacist is responsible for reviewing your medications with you and counseling you to ensure you understand your home medications rnrn If you ever pick up a prescription and see shorthand like these abbreviations doublecheck their meaning with the pharmacist to ensure you take your medications as prescribed rnrn There are well over prescription abbreviations A shortened list of prescription abbreviations includes the following rnrn The Latin terms are still in use but some healthcare providers are retiring them It is becoming more common for healthcare providers to write prescription instructions in plain language rnrn Readable prescriptions can help prevent medication errors That is why many medical professionals believe written instructions should be used instead of hardtoread abbreviations rnrn For example the abbreviation qd which means daily could be mistaken for qid which means four times a day It could also be confused for od which means right eye Simply writing daily prevents confusion rnrn Eprescribing or electronic prescribing can also help prevent medication errorsInstructions sent directly to the pharmacy electronically are less prone to human error If your healthcare provider uses electronic prescribing you may never see the abbreviations rnrnEprescribing improves patient safety in a number of ways such asrnrn Prescription abbreviations like bid which stands for twice a day and Rx which stands for prescription are commonly used by healthcare providers when detailing prescription drug information in shorthand rnrn If you receive a written prescription make sure you understand the directions If the directions are unclear or confusing ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist to explain Dont take chances ask a medical professional what the shorthand means before you take the prescription home rnrn