1. All About Medical Care

348. Understanding Prescription Abbreviations

Doctors and pharmacists communicate in a kind of shorthand–including some abbreviations of Latin terms–to convey instructions for filling prescriptions. Here are some commonly used prescription abbreviations, and how they translate on drug labels. (When your doctor writes a prescription, it will contain five basic pieces of information: the name of the drug prescribed; dosage; whether it’s in liquid, capsule, or tablet form; how many you will receive; and the number of refills, if any, permitted. If you still don’t understand what’s on your prescription or drug label, ask your pharmacist to explain it.)

1. •ad lib:  Freely, as needed.
   

2. •a.c.:  Before meals.
   

3. •b.i.d.:  Twice a day.
   

4. •caps:  Capsule.
   

5. •gtt:  Drops.
   

6. •h.s.:  At bedtime.
   

7. •P.O.:  Orally.
   

8. •p.c.:  After meals.
   

9. •p.r.n.:  As needed.
   

10. •q.4.h.:  Every 4 hours.
    

11. •q.i.d.:  Four times a day.
    

12. •q.d.:  Daily.
    

13. •q.o.d.:  Every other day.
    

14. •t.i.d.:  Three times a day.
    

15. •Ut dict.;UD:  As directed.
    

SOURCE:  FDA Consumer, vol. 11, no. 17 (Dec./Jan. 1976-77).