Abbreviations
| a.c. before meals or food | b.i.d. twice daily | h.s. at bedtime |
| p.c. after meals | p.o. by mouth | p.r.n. as needed |
| O.D. right eye | O.S. left eye | O.U. each eye |
| mcg microgram(s) | mg milligram(s) | mEq milliequivalent(s) |
| mL milliliter(s) | q.o.d. every other day | q.h. every hour |
| q.4h. every four hours | q.8h. every eight hours | q.i.d. four times a day |
| q.o.d. every other day | t.i.d. three times a day |
Samples
 | Amikacin 430 mg p.o. q.8h. |
| Meropenem 1 gram IV q.8h. |
| Cisapride 10 mg p.o. q.i.d. p.r.n. |
| Keflex 500 mg p.o. q.i.d. |
| Enteric-coated aspirin 81 mg p.o. q.d. |
| Remeron 30 mg p.o. q.h.s. |
| Pepcid 20 mg p.o. q.h.s. |
| Lescol 20 mg p.o. q.h.s. |
| Morphine soluble tablets one p.o. q.2-4h. p.r.n. breakthrough pain. |
| Paxil 40 mg p.o. q.d. |
| Neurontin 300 mg five to six times per day. |
| Dextromethorphan 15 mg p.o. t.i.d. |
Prescriptive Terms
| ACE inhibitors |
| afterload |
| beta blockers |
| calcium channel blocker |
| catheter |
| cream |
| Dosepak (Medrol) |
| elixir |
| gargle |
| intradermal |
| intrathecal |
| IV (intravenous) |
| IM (intramuscular) |
| inhalers |
| lozenge |
| MAO |
| parenteral (route of administration other than by mouth) |
| p.o. (by mouth) |
| push |
| subcutaneous ("sub-q") |
| sublingual |
| topical |
| transdermal (patches) |
| tincture |
| troche
|
Tips
| Always verify the spelling of drugs and their dosage amounts in your drug book. |
| Make sure the drugs are consistent with the patient's diagnoses. |
| Watch for sound-alikes, such as Xanax and Zantac, etc. |
| Refer to your AAMT Book of Style for prescription formatting tips. |
Drug Terminology -- Match each drug type with its definition
1. analgesic |
A.used to treat edema and hypertension by causing the kidneys to excrete more sodium and water |
| 2. antiemetic | B. produces mood elevation |
| 3. antihypertensive | C.raises blood pressure by constricting the smooth muscle of blood vessels |
| 4. antipruritic | D. used in chemotherapy |
| 5. antitussive | E. suppresses pain without producing sedation |
| 6. antidepressant | F. prevents or relieves itching |
| 7. diuretic | G. kills pathogenic bacteria |
| 8. antibiotic | H. prevents or relieves vomiting |
| 9. vasodilator | I. improves blood flow by relaxing the smooth muscle of blood vessels |
| 10. vasopressor | J. suppresses coughing |
| 11. antineoplastic | K. lowers high blood pressure |
Answers: 1 E; 2 H; 3 K; 4 F; 5 J; 6 B; 7 A; 8 G; 9 I; 10 C; 11 D