Do you ever wonder what the nearly illegible "b.i.d." and "p.o.," "p.r.n." and the other mysterious abbreviations on your prescription actually mean?
They are mainly abbreviations for Latin terms that are still used when writing prescriptions. Here they all are, deciphered for you!
| Abbreviation | Latin Translation | What It Means |
| a.c. | ante cibum | before meals |
| b.i.d. | bis in die | twice a day |
| b.i.n. | bis in noctus | twice a night |
| c | cum | with |
| cap | capsula | capsule |
| d | dies | day |
| daw | dispense as written (no substituting generic or brand name drugs) | |
| gtt | gutta | drop |
| h.s. | hora somni | bedtime |
| I.M. | into the muscle | |
| I.V. | into the vein | |
| mg | milligram | |
| ml | milliliter | |
| noxt | at night | |
| O.D. | oculo dextro | right eye |
| O.S. | oculo sinistro | left eye |
| O.U. | oculo utro | in each eye |
| p.c. | post cibum | after meals |
| p.o. | per os | by mouth |
| p.r.n. | pro re nata | as needed |
| pil | pilula | pill |
| qh | quaque hora | every hour |
| q 3 h | quaque 3 hora | every 3 hours |
| qAM | every morning | |
| qd | quaque die | daily |
| q.i.d. | quater in die | four times a day |
| q.o.d | every other day | |
| s | sine | without |
| s.l. | under the tongue | |
| tab | tabella | tablet |
| t.i.d. | ter in die | three times a day |
| tsp | teaspoon | |
| tbsp | tablespoon | |
| ut dict | as directed by doctor |
