Translating Doctor's Prescriptions

Recently I spent a week with my sister-in-law who is hospitalized. I read through all the doctors' various orders and prescriptions.

I was searching for a clue as to which drug might be causing her horrendous side effects. 

Fortunately, I had a "cheat sheet" in order to interpret the most common prescription instructions. I found it years ago in a magazine and typed it up.

In case you're mystified by what you read on a prescription, here's a copy for you. I'll list these common doctor orders in this format: abbreviation = Latin words = the meaning, in common language. Feel free to copy and paste this into a document then clip it and carry it in your wallet.

Does That Rx Symbol Mean Anything?

Yes, this commonly seen symbol refers to prescriptions, but it's actually an upper case R with a long ending stroke crossed by a short slanted line. That short crossing line means that it's an abbreviation.

Rx = recipere = recipe

Historically, the Latin word recipere meant to take or receive. Our word recipe first meant prescription in the medical sense. Later it was used in connection with cooking which is the common usage today.

Translating Prescriptions 

a.c. = ante cibum = before meals

p.c. = post cibum = after meals

c̅ = cum = with (you may see this with the overbar or without it)

s̅ = sine = without 

d = dies = day

b.i.d. = bis in die = twice a day

t.i.d. = ter in die = three times a day

q.i.d. = qauter in die = four times a day

p.r.n. = pro re nata = as needed

h.s. = hora somni = bedtime

O.D. = oculo dextro = right eye

O.S. = oculo sinistro = left eye

O.U. = oculo utro = in each eye

p.o. = per os = by mouth

gtt = gutta = drop

Takeaway Truth

If you need any prescription instructions not shown here, you can find them by doing a Gooogle search. I hope this helps. If it does, let me know in Comments.

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