TERMINOLOGIES USED IN DISPENSING
S.No. LATIN ABBREVIATIONS ENGLISH MEANING
1 a.c Before meals
2 a.p Before dinner
3 ad Up to/sufficient to produce
4 ad part To the painful parts
5 alt alternate
6 ante/a before
7 applicand To be applied
8 ad.lib At pleasure, as desired
9 aqua water
10 ana/aa of each
11 admov apply
12 agit Shake, stir
13 aq.bull Boiling water (aqua bulliens)
14 aq.dest Distilled water (aqua destillata)
15 auristil Ear drops
16 auris dextra (a.d) Right ear
17 auris laevo (a.l) Left ear
18 bds To be taken twice daily
19 bis twice
20 b.i.d/b.d Two times daily
21 b.t.i.d Two or three times daily
22 caps/capsula capsule
23 cap/capiat Let him take
24 cib/cibos Food, meals
25 collut A mouth wash
26 collunar A nose wash
27 colyn A eye wash
28 c with
29 conspers A dusting powder
30 crem cream
31 de die daily
32 d.p With proper direction
33 d.p.c The dose gradually increasing
34 degluct Let be swallowed
35 dext.lat To the right side
36 dil. dilute
37 dos dose
38 dieb.alt Every other day
39 div. divide
40 dol.urg When the pain is severe
41 emet An emetic
42 emul emulsion
43 enem An enema
1
44 e.lact With milk
45 ex.aq With water
46 e.m.p In the manner prescribed
47 Ft Let it be made, prepare
48 garg A gargle
49 gtt drops
50 gelat A jelly
51 gr A grain
52 h An hour
53 hac nocte To night
54 h.s At bed time (hora somni)
55 i.c Between meals
56 inf. An infusion
57 inhal An inhalation
58 inj. injection
59 in.d daily
60 i.u International unit
61 Ib Pound/pint
62 liq Solution (liqour)
63 lot lotion
64 linct A linctus
65 lin A liniment
66 l Left (laevo)
67 lev Light (levis)
68 Mane/m. In the morning
69 m.d As directed, as stated
70 m.d.u To be used as directed
71 mist A mixture
72 Misce/m. Mix, let it be mixed
73 mitt send
74 min A minimum
75 mitt tal. Send such
76 m.p As prescribed
77 narist Nasal drops
78 N.P The proper name
79 neb/nebul A spray solution
80 noct.mane.q Night and morning
81 n.r/non rep Do not repeat
82 o.d Once daily
83 Oc/oculent Eye ointment
84 o.m Every morning
85 omn Every (omni)
86 o.h Every hour (omni hora)
87 o.n Every night (omni nocte)
88 o.u Each eye (oculo utro)
89 o.s Mouth (os.oris)
2
90 p.a.a To be applied to the affected part (parti affecti applicandus)
91 p.c After food
92 pt.aeq Equal parts
93 p.r.n When required, when necessary, occasionally
94 p.o Orally,by mouth (per os)
95 pess pessary
96 pig/pigm A paint
97 pulv. A powder
98 pulv. consper A dusting powder
99 p.p.a The bottle being first shaken (shake the bottle before use)
100 p.o.l For the left eye (pro oculo laevo)
101 q.s As much as is sufficient (quantum sufficiat)
102 q.i.d Four times a day (quarter in die)
103 q.d.s To be taken four times daily
104 q.q.h. Every four hours (quaque quarta hora)
105 q.d Every day
106 q.h Every hour
107 q4h Every four hours
108 q.o.d Every other day (alternate days)
109 Rx Take thou, Oh god of healing!; Recipe,take
110 s.os If necessary (si opus), when necessary
112 Sig. label
113 solv. Solution tablets
114 supp/suppos suppository
115 Sumenda/s. To be taken
116 Sl sublingual
117 syr syrup
118 sol. A solution
119 stat Immediately (statim)
120 ss Half (semis)
121 sum To be taken (sumendus)
122 Tab. Tablet (tabletta)
123 troch lozenges
124 t.i.d Three times daily
125 tuss.urg When the cough is troublesome
126 ung. An ointment
127 unus Once,one
128 ul-dict As directed
129 u To be used (utendus)
130 i One (unus)
131 ii Two (duo)
132 iii Three (tres,tria)
133 iv Four (quanttuor)
134 v Five (quinque)
135 vi Six (sex)
136 vii Seven (septem)
3
137 viii Eight (octo)
138 ix Nine (novem)
139 x Ten (decem)
140 xi Eleven (undecim)
141 xii Twelve (duodecim)
142 xiii Thirteen (tredecim)
143 xiv Fourteen (quattuordecim)
144 xv Fifteen (quindecim)
Latin Terms and Abbreviations Commonly Used in Prescription Writing
Latin term or phrase Abbreviation English meaning
Ad Ad Up to /sufficient to
produce
Ad libitum Ad. Lib At pleasure, as desired
Admove Admove Apply
Agita Agit Shake, stir
Alter Alt The other, alternate
Alternis horis Alt.hrs Alternate hours
Ana aa. Of each
Ante a. Before
Ante Cibos a.c Before meals
applicandus Aplicand To be applied
Aqua aq. water
Aqua buliens aq.bull Boiling water
Aqua destillata Aq.dest Distilled water
Auris dextra a.d Right ear
Auris laeva a.l. Left ear
4
Bis in die b.i.d. Twice a day
Capsula caps capsule
Capiendus capiend To be taken
cataplasma cataplasm poultice
Charta chart Powder paper
Cibos cibos Food, meals
Amplum amp
Cochleare - magnum coch - mag one table spoonful (15ml)
Maximum max
Medium med
Cochleare - coch-
Modicum mod one dessert spoonful (10ml)
Minimum min
Cochleare - coch - one teaspoonful (5ml)
parvum parv
Collunarium collunar one dessert spoonful
Collutorium collut a mouth wash
Collyrium collyr an eye wash/eye lotion
Cremor crem cream
5
Congius cong a gallon
Cum c with
Cum duplo c.dup. with twice as much.
Cum parte aequale c.pt.aeq. with an equal quantity
Cyathus cyath a glass
Dexter dext right
Divide div divide
Dolore urgente dol. Urg. When the pain is severe
Emulsio emul an emulsion
E e with
Ex ex out of
E. lacte e.lact with milk
Ex.aqua ex.aq with water
Ex.modo prescripto e.m.p in the manner prescribed
Fiat, flant ft. make/ let it be made
Fortis forte/fort strong
Granuni, grana gr. A grain
Gutta, guttae gtt. A drop, drops
Haustus ht draught
Hora h. an hour
Hora somni h.s. at bed time
In dies in.d daily
Inter cibos i.c during meals
6
Injection inj. An injection
Laevo l. left
Levis lev. Light
Linimentum lin. A liniment
Liquor liq. Solution
Lotio lot lotion
Mane m. morning
Minimum min. a minim
Misce m. mix, let (it) be mixed
Mistura mist a mixture
Mitte mitt send
Mitte tales mitt tal send such
More dicto m.dict/m.d as directed./as stated
Modo prescripto m.pres as prescribed
More dicto m.dict as directed
Nauristillae naurist nose drops
Nebulla nebul/neb a spray/spray solution
Nocte n at night
Nocte maneque noct.maneq night and morning
Nocte en mane n.m night and morning
Nome propium n.p proper name/INN
Non repetatur non rep,/ n.r. do not repeat
7
Octarius o. a pint
Oculo utro o.u each eye
Oculus dexter o.d right eye
Oculus laevus o.l left eye
Oculentum oculent/oc eye ointment
Omni omn. Every
Omni die o.d every day
Omni mane o.m every morning
Omni hora omn.ho,/ o.h every hour
Omni quadranta hora om.quadr.hor every quarter of an hour
Omni quarta hora omn. 4 h/q4h every 4 hours
Omni secunda hora omn.2h./q2h every two hours
Omni mane o.m. every morning
Os. oris o.s. mouth
Pasta past paste
Per os. P.o. orally, by mouth
Pigmentum pig paint
Post.cibos p.c. after meals
Pulvis pulv powder
Pro re nata p.r.n when necessary
/when required
Quantum sufficient q.s. as much as sufficient
8
Quarter in die q.i.d. four times a day.
Quarter die sumendus qds to be taken four times daily
Quaque hora q.h every hour
Quarter quaque hora q.q.h every fourth hour
Recipe; take Rx superscription
Secundum artum s.a according to the art
Semis, semi ss. Half
Signa, signatur a sig. write/Label
Si opus sit s.o s. when necessary
Solve - dissolve
Solution sol a solution
Statim stat immediately
Sumendus sum to be taken
Suppositorium supp. A suppository
Tabella, tabletta tab a tablet
Talis, tales tal such
Ter in die t.i.d. three times a day
Ter die sumendus tds to be taken three times daily
9
Trochiscus troch lozenge
Uncia - an ounce
Unguentum ung an ointment
Utendus u.or utend to be used
Unus i one
Duo ii two
Tres iii three
Quatuor iv four
Quinque v five
Sex vi six
Septem vii seven
Octo viii eight
Novem ix nine
Decem x ten
Undecim xi eleven
Duodecim xii twelve
Quindicim xv fifteen
10
