List of abbreviations used in medical prescription (Best and 100% Genuine Guide for Patients & Students)

List of abbreviations used in medical prescription. When you happened to read the prescription of a doctor and were puzzled by abbreviated formulas such as OD, BD, TDS, or SOS, you are not alone.

As a pharmacist, I encounter this on a daily basis- everything to do with patients who have difficulties in getting to understand what it is that they are actually being given in terms of prescription.

As part of this guide, I will be able to describe the medical prescription abbreviations common as they are meant to be in plain terms, and you will be in a position to:

What Are Prescription Abbreviations?

Prescription abbreviations are rather brief and are used by doctors as quickly as possible to write instructions on medicines.

These include:

• Frequency (how often to take)
• Route (how to take)
• Timing (before/after food)

They are largely based on Latin words hence their appearance of appearing perplexing.

List of abbreviations used in medical prescription

The following are the instructions on the frequency of taking medicine:

Abbreviation	Meaning	Example
OD	Once daily	Take 1 tablet OD
BD	Twice daily	Morning & evening
TDS	Three times daily	Every 8 hours
QID	Four times daily	Every 6 hours
HS	At bedtime	Before sleeping
SOS	If needed	Pain/fever only
PRN	As required	Similar to SOS

Tip: Always maintain equal time gaps for best effect.

Food-Related Abbreviations

These inform you of the time of taking medicine with regard to meals:

Abbreviation	Meaning
AC	Before meals
PC	After meals

Example:

• Pantoprazole – AC (empty stomach)
• PC (as a vitamin after meals) tablets.

Route of Administration Abbreviations

These show the way the medicine must be administered:

Abbreviation	Meaning
PO	By mouth (oral)
IM	Intramuscular injection
IV	Intravenous injection
SC	Subcutaneous
SL	Sublingual (under tongue)

Example:

• Nitroglycerin – SL (when fast acting is required)

Urgency & Special Instructions

Abbreviation	Meaning
STAT	Immediately
SOS	If needed
PRN	As required

Example:

• Severe pain → Take tablet STAT

Dosage Form Abbreviations

These characterize the kind of medicine:

Abbreviation	Meaning
Tab	Tablet
Cap	Capsule
Syp	Syrup
Inj	Injection
Ung	Ointment
Gtt	Drops

Measurement Abbreviations

These show dose strength:

Abbreviation	Meaning
mg	Milligram
mcg	Microgram
ml	Milliliter

Why Understanding Prescriptions Is Important?

The use of abbreviation may cause misinterpretation and hence:

•  Wrong dosage
• Overdose or underdose
• Treatment failure
• Side effects

Example: Substitution of BD by OD = 2 times dose (lethal to health)

Dose Pattern Format:

• 1-0-1 → Morning and night
• 0-1-0 → Afternoon only
• 1-1-1 → Morning, afternoon, night

Example: “Tab 1-0-1” means twice daily (morning & evening).

Pharmacist Tips (Very Important)

As a pharmacist, I always suggest:

• Always ask if you don’t understand
• Never guess abbreviations
• Follow the exact timing
• Use a medicine schedule
• Avoid self-medication

Final Words

Learning of abbreviations in prescriptions is not only the prerogative of medical students but also of all patients. These are just but a few basics that you will be a lot more confident about when handling your medicines.