Latin term and Abbreviation commonly used in prescription writing

Latin term	Abbreviation	Meaning
ad	ad	to, up to
	ad lib.	at pleasure
adde	add	add (thou)
agita	agit	shake, stir
alternis horis	alt. h.	every other hour
ana	a.a. or aa	of each
ante	a.	before
ante cibum	a.c.	before food, before meals
ante meridien	a.m.	morning
	amp.	ampule
aqua	aq.	water
aqua ad	aq. ad.	water up to
	ag. dest; aqua dist.	distilled water
auris	aur.; a	ear
auris dexter	a.d.	right ear
aurix laevus	a.l.	left ear
auris sinister	a.s.	left ear
auris utro	a.u.	each ear
auristillae	aurist	ear-drops
	a.t.c.	around the clock
bis	b.	twice
bis in die	b.i.d.	twice a day
brachium	brach.	the arm
	BSA	body surface area
capsula	caps	a capsule
	c.c.	cubic centimeter
chartulae	charts	powder papers; divided powders
cibus	cib.; c.	food
collunarium	collun	a nose wash
collutorium	collut.	a mouthwash
collyrium	collyr.	an eyewash
compositus	comp.	compound
congius	cong.; C.	gallon
cum	c or c.	with
cum cibus	c.c.	with food; with meals
dentur	d.	give (thou); let be given
dentur tales doses	d.t.d.	give of such doses
dexter	d.	right
diebus alternis	dieb. alt.	every other day
dilutus	dil.	dilute, diluted
	disp.	dispense
	div.	divide
	DW	distilled water
	elix.	elixir
emulsum	emuls.	emulsion
et	et	and
ex modo prescripto	e.m.p.	in the manner prescribed; as directed
fac, fiat, fiant	f.; ft.	let it be made; make
	f.; fl.	fluid
	g.; G.; gm.	gram
granum	gr.	grain
guttae	gtt.	a drop
hora	h	at the hour of
hora somni	h.s.	at bedtime
	i.m.	intramuscular
injectio	inj.	injection
	i.v.; IV	intravenous
	i.v.p.; IVP	intravenous push
	IVPB	intravenous piggyback
laevus	l.	left
linimentum	lin.	liniment
liquor	liq.	a solution
	lot.	lotion
minimum	min; Mx	minim
misce	m.; M	mix
	mcg.	microgram
	mEq.	milliequivalent
	mg.	milligram
	ml.	milliliter
nocte	n.	at night
naristillae	narist.	nasal drops
nebule	neb.	a spray
	N.F.	National Formulary
non repetatur	non.rep.	do not repeat
	NS	normal saline
octarius	O.	pint
oculentum	occulent.	eye ointment
oculus	o.	eye
oculus dexter	o.d.	right eye
oculus laevus	o.l.	left eye
oculus sinister	o.s.	left eye
oculus utro	o.u.	both eyes, each eye
omni mane	o.m.	every morning
parti affectae applicandus	p.a.a.	to be applied to affected part
per os	p.o.	by mouth
post cibum	p.c.	after meals
	p.r.	per rectum
pro re nata	p.r.n.	as needed
pulvis	pulv.	powder
quater in die	q.i.d.	four times a day
quaque	q.	each, every
quaque die	q.d.	every day
quaque hora	q.h.	every hour
quantum sufficiat	q.s.	a sufficient quantity
quantum sufficiat ad	q.s. ad	a sufficient quantity to make
secundum artem	s.a.	according to the art
	S.C.; subc; subq	subcutaneously
semis	ss	one-half
signa	Sig.	write, label
sine	s	without
si opus sit	s.o.s.	if necessary
	sol.	solution
statim	stat.	immediately
suppositorum	supp.	suppository
syrupus	syr.	syrup
tabella	tab.	tablet
	tbsp.	tablespoonful
ter in die	t.i.d.	three times a day
	tinc.; tr.	tincture
trochiscus	troche	lozenge
tussis	tuss.	a cough
ungentum	ung.	an ointment
ut dictum	ut dict.; u.d.	as directed