!Medical Prescription

This appendix is a list of some abbreviations used in prescriptions. Its listing here does not mean such abbreviations should be used. See main article for discussion on the use of abbreviations.

This listing does not include abbreviations for actual pharmaceuticals (which is a separate article in itself). Capitalization and the use of a period is a matter of style. In the attached list, Latin is not capitalized whereas English acronyms are. The period is used wherever there are letters omitted in the abbreviation.

Abbreviation

Latin

Meaning

aa

ad

a.c.

a.d.

ad lib.

admov.

agit

alt. h.

a.m.

amp

amt

ana

ad

ante cibum

aurio dextra

ad libitum

admove

agita

alternis horis

ante meridiem

of each

up to

before meals

right ear

use as much as one desires; freely

apply

stir/shake

every other hour

morning, before noon

ampule

amount

aq

a.l., a.s.

A.T.C.

a.u.

bis

b.i.d.

B.M.

bol.

B.S.

B.S.A

aqua

aurio laeva, aurio sinister

auris utrae

bis

bis in die

bolus

water

left ear

around the clock

both ears

twice

twice daily

bowel movement

as a large single dose (usually intravenously)

blood sugar

body surface areas

Medical prescription