Your doctor prescribed a new medication, but you forget what it's called. You're supposed to take two tablets once a day. Or is it one tablet twice a day? Unable to read your doctor's handwriting, you can make out what looks like "tab bid am and hs" on the prescription form. Confused, you head for the drugstore, confident your pharmacist will be able to clear things up.
Pharmacy workers are human, and humans can make mistakes. That's why, before you leave your doctor's office, you need to know several things: The name of the medication, what dosage you're supposed to take and - because we all tend to forget sometimes - how to read the prescription form.
You want to be sure that the medication you pick up at the drugstore is the same one your doctor ordered. You also want to know that if your doctor scribbled "one tablet twice a day" on your prescription form, the pharmacy didn't mistakenly type "two tablets once a day" on your label.
Cracking the code
Below is a list of abbreviations used by doctors to write prescriptions. You can memorize them or simply keep them in your wallet. Take time to decipher your next prescription before dropping it off at the drugstore. That way you'll know you're getting what was Rx'ed.
Rx, by the way, is Latin for "recipe."
| a.c. | before meals | b.i.d. | Twice as day |
| t.i.d | Three time a day | q.i.d | Four times a day |
| Tab | Tablet | T | One tablet |
| TT | Two tablets | Cap | Capsule |
| D | Day(s) | Gt | Drops |
| h.s. | Bedtime | I.M. | Into the muscles |
| I.V. | Into the vein | Mg | Milligram(s) |
| mL | Milliliters | Mg/mL | Milligram(s)/milliliter |
| O.D | Right eye | O.S. | Left eye |
| O.U. | Each eye | p.c. | After meal |
| p.o | By mouth | p.r.n. | as needed |
| qh | Every hour | q3h | Every 3 hours |
| qam | Every morning | qhs | Every night/bed time |
| qd | Everyday | q.o.d. | Every other day |
| s.l. | Under the tongue | Tsp | Teaspoon |
| Tbsp | tablespoon | | |
You now know that the above example ("tab bid am and hs") directs you to take one tablet twice a day - in the morning and at bedtime.
Questions to ask your doctor or pharmacist
Just because you can read the prescription label or even decipher the code on the prescription form doesn't mean you shouldn't ask questions. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist the following things before starting a new medication:
- What are common side effects of this medicine?
- What should I do if I miss a dose?
- Are there foods, other drugs or activities that I should avoid while taking it?
- When should I take this medicine? Should I take it before, after or with meals?
Educating yourself is the best way to take charge of your own health. By knowing beforehand how to take medication as prescribed, you reduce your risk of becoming a victim of medical error.
For more information please ask your physician on your next visit.
