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Pharmacy Abbreviations (NAPLEX, PTCB, ExCPT)

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Sig abbreviations are shorthand notations commonly used in prescriptions and medical orders to convey essential instructions to patients, healthcare providers,  pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

These abbreviations are critical for improving communication, efficiency, and safety in the medication dispensing process. They are typically derived from Latin and are used to describe dosage, frequency, route of administration, and other key instructions on how a medication should be used.

Time & Frequency

Abbreviation Meaning Sig Example
q Every Take 1 tablet q6h (every 6 hours)
qAM Every morning Take 1 tablet qAM
qPM Every evening Take 1 tablet qPM
qhs Every night at bedtime Take 1 capsule qhs
qam Every morning Take 1 tab qam with food
qod Every other day Take 1 tablet qod
qd or q.d.* Once daily
Take 1 tab qd
bid or b.i.d. Twice daily Take 1 tab bid
tid or t.i.d. Three times daily Take 1 capsule tid
qid or q.i.d. Four times daily Apply ointment qid
q4h Every 4 hours Take 2 tablets q4h
q6h Every 6 hours Take 1 capsule q6h
q8h Every 8 hours Take 1 tab q8h
q12h Every 12 hours Take 1 tab q12h
stat Immediately Take 1 tablet stat for chest pain
prn As needed Take 1 tab prn for pain
q__h prn Every __ hours as needed Take 1 tab q6h prn for headache
ac Before meals Take 1 capsule ac
pc After meals Take 1 capsule pc
hs At bedtime Take 1 tablet hs
ud As directed Use 1 puff ud
qwk Every week Take 1 tablet qwk
biw Twice a week Take 1 capsule biw
tiw Three times a week Take 1 tablet tiw
qh Every hour Instill 1 drop qh in left eye
sig Directions

Route of Administration

Abbreviation Meaning Sig Example
i.d. Intradermal Inject 0.1 mL i.d. once for TB test
IM Intramuscular Inject 1 mL IM every 12 hours
IV Intravenous Administer 500 mL IV over 1 hour
PO By mouth (oral) Take 1 tablet PO twice daily
SC or SQ or SubQ Subcutaneous Inject 10 units SC before meals
Inj Injection Inj 1 mL SC daily

Ear-Related

Sig abbreviations related to the ear (otic administration), which are commonly used in pharmacy practice. These abbreviations are derived from Latin terms and are used to indicate how and where medications should be applied to the ear(s).
Abbreviation Meaning Sig Example
gtt Drop Instill 1 gtt in affected ear tid
gtts Drops Instill 3 gtts in affected ear bid
Otic For the ear Apply otic drops as directed
AD Right ear (auris dextra) Instill 3 drops in AD twice daily
AS Left ear (auris sinistra) Instill 2 drops in AS at bedtime
AU Both ears (auris utraque) Instill 4 drops in AU every 8 hours

Eye-Related (Ophthalmic)

Common eye-related sig abbreviations used in prescriptions for ophthalmic (eye) medications.
Abbreviation Meaning Sig Example
gtt or gtts Drop(s) Instill 1 gtt in affected eye q8 hours
OD Right eye (oculus dexter) Instill 1 drop OD twice daily
OS Left eye (oculus sinister) Instill 1 drop OS at bedtime
OU Both eyes (oculi uterque) Instill 2 drops OU every 4 hours

Dosage Form

AbbreviationMeaning (Dosage Form)Sig Example
capCapsuleTake 1 cap PO daily
tabTabletTake 1 tab PO twice daily
gttDrop(s)Instill 2 gtt in each eye twice daily
suppSuppositoryInsert 1 supp rectally at bedtime
solSolutionTake 10 mL of sol PO every 8 hours
suspSuspension
Shake well and take 1 tsp of susp PO twice daily
elixElixirTake 2 tsp of elix PO every 6 hours
syrSyrupTake 5 mL of syr PO three times a day
ungOintmentApply a thin layer of ung to affected area daily
crmCreamApply crm to rash BID
lotLotionApply lot to skin twice a day
solnSolution (topical/oral)Rinse mouth with 10 mL of soln and spit
inhalInhalerInhale 2 puffs via inhal every 4 hours PRN
MDIMetered Dose InhalerUse 1 puff via MDI every 6 hours
nebNebulizer solutionNeb 1 vial QID
trocheLozengeDissolve 1 troche in mouth TID
patchTransdermal PatchApply 1 patch to skin every 72 hours
pwdPowderApply powder to feet daily
sprSpraySpr 2 sprays into each nostril once daily
filmOral film (e.g., buccal)Place 1 film on tongue once daily
injInjectionInj 1 mL SC every morning
liqLiquidTake 10 mL of liq PO once daily
chew tabChewable TabletChew 1 chew tab after meals
ODTOrally Disintegrating TabPlace 1 ODT on tongue and allow to dissolve

Allergy and Condition Abbreviations

AbbreviationMeaningSig Example
NKDANo Known Drug AllergiesPt reports NKDA in EHR.
NKANo Known AllergiesAllergies: NKA.
PCNPenicillinAllergy: PCN – causes rash.
ASAAcetylsalicylic Acid (Aspirin)Avoid ASA due to GI bleeding.
HTNHypertensionTake 1 tab PO QD for HTN.
DMDiabetes MellitusMonitor glucose BID for DM.
CHFCongestive Heart FailureTake 40 mg furosemide PO QAM for CHF.
COPDChronic Obstructive Pulmonary DiseaseUse inhaler QID PRN for COPD symptoms.
CADCoronary Artery DiseaseTake atorvastatin HS for CAD.

Dry Weight Units

Abbreviation Unit Equivalent Sig Example
mcg Microgram 1 mcg = 0.001mg Give 400 mcg PO once daily
mg Milligram 1 mg = 1,000mcg Take 500 mg PO BID
g or gm Gram 1 g = 1,000mg Take 1 g PO daily
kg Kilogram 1 kg = 1,000g Dose: 10 mg/kg body weight
gr Grain 1 grain ≈ 65 mg Take 1 gr tablet TID (rare/old use)
oz (avoirdupois) Ounce (weight) 1 oz = 28.35g Apply 1 oz ointment to affected area
lb Pound 1 lb = 16 oz = 453.6g Pediatric dose based on 20 lb weight
dr or ʒ Dram 1 dram ≈ 1/16 oz ≈ 1.77g Mix 1 dr into 100 mL of water

Liquid Weight Units

AbbreviationMeaningMetric Equivalent
Sig Example
gtt(s)Drop(s)Varies (commonly ~0.05 mL)
Instill 2 gtt in each eye QID
mLMilliliter1 mL = 1 cc
Take 5 mL PO every 6 hours
ccCubic centimeter1 cc = 1 mL
Inject 1 cc IM once daily
tspTeaspoon1 tsp = 5 mL
Take 1 tsp PO TID
tbspTablespoon1 tbsp = 15 mL
Take 1 tbsp PO BID
ozOunce1 oz = 30 mL
Drink 1 oz PO at bedtime
fl ozFluid ounce1 fl oz = 30 mL
Take 2 fl oz PO every 4 hours
ptPint1 pt = 473 mL
Drink 1 pt water after prep
qtQuart1 qt = 946 mL
Take 1 qt prep night before procedure
galGallon1 gal = 3,785 mL
Take 1 gal of prep solution over 4 hours
LLiter1 L = 1,000 mL
Drink 1 L of oral rehydration solution daily

Lab Test Abbreviations (Medical Abbreviations)

AbbreviationMeaningExample
ABGArterial Blood GasOrder ABG to assess blood pH, oxygen, and CO2 levels
CBCComplete Blood CountCBC with differential, check for WBC, RBC, platelets
CMPComprehensive Metabolic PanelCMP to evaluate glucose, electrolytes, liver, and kidney function
BMPBasic Metabolic PanelBMP to assess blood glucose, calcium, and kidney function
LFTLiver Function TestsLFT to check enzymes like AST, ALT, bilirubin levels
PTProthrombin TimePT to assess blood clotting (INR calculation)
INRInternational Normalized RatioINR to monitor warfarin therapy
PTTPartial Thromboplastin TimePTT for clotting disorders or to monitor heparin therapy
HGBHemoglobinHGB level is measured for anemia or blood disorders
HCTHematocritHCT to determine the percentage of red blood cells
WBCWhite Blood CellsWBC count is assessed in infection or immune response
RBCRed Blood CellsRBC count is evaluated in anemia or blood loss
PLTPlatelet CountPLT is assessed for bleeding disorders or bone marrow function
BUNBlood Urea NitrogenBUN to assess kidney function
CrCreatinineSerum Cr to evaluate renal function
TSHThyroid Stimulating HormoneTSH to evaluate thyroid function
T4ThyroxineFree T4 to assess thyroid function
T3TriiodothyronineT3 to assess thyroid function
HBA1CHemoglobin A1CHBA1C for long-term blood glucose control in diabetes
FBSFasting Blood SugarFBS to check for diabetes or blood sugar management
OGTTOral Glucose Tolerance TestOGTT to diagnose diabetes or prediabetes
Lipid PanelLipid ProfileLipid panel to assess cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides
CRPC-Reactive ProteinCRP to measure inflammation in the body
ESRErythrocyte Sedimentation RateESR to detect inflammation or infection
U/AUrinalysisU/A to detect urinary tract infections, kidney function
C&SCulture and SensitivityC&S to determine the infecting organism and its drug sensitivity
D-dimerD-dimer TestD-dimer to rule out blood clots or deep vein thrombosis
AmylaseAmylaseAmylase to evaluate pancreatitis or digestive disorders
LipaseLipaseLipase to check for pancreas inflammation
A1ATAlpha-1 AntitrypsinA1AT to assess genetic risk for lung diseases (e.g., emphysema)
TIBCTotal Iron Binding CapacityTIBC to assess iron levels in the blood
Uric AcidUric AcidUric Acid test to evaluate gout or kidney stones

Benefits of Pharmacy Abbreviations for Pharmacy Professionals (NAPLEX, PTCB, ExCPT)

For pharmacy professionals, sig abbreviations are invaluable as they provide a standardized, concise way to convey instructions that would otherwise require lengthy descriptions. This reduces the potential for errors related to misinterpretation and helps speed up the prescription process.

For example, “PO” (per os) indicates the medication should be taken orally, and “BID” (bis in die) means twice daily. These shorthand notations save time while ensuring consistency across healthcare settings.

In addition, sig abbreviations help prevent medication errors by promoting clear, unambiguous instructions. Pharmacists, technicians, and clinicians are all trained in the same set of abbreviations, which minimizes confusion when interpreting medical orders. Moreover, accurate sigs ensure that the right dose is taken at the right time, improving patient adherence and treatment outcomes.