13 Medical Abbreviations

Medical Abbreviations

The amount of abbreviations that are used in the health industry is quite expansive and can be overwhelming and confusing at times. The letters used for an abbreviation may often have nothing to with the word(s) they represent (ex: lb as an abbreviation for pound). This can be due the fact they often have their roots in Latin or Greek rather than English (ex: libra is latin for pound). As previously mentioned, you may also encounter Roman numerals used on medical orders or prescriptions.

The standardization of medical abbreviations is an ongoing process with constant efforts being made to standardize terms used with the intention to improve communication between the variety of health care givers. Groups such as the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada) or the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JACHO) have identified dangerous abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations that should never be used when communicating medical information.

Although you may see these abbreviations used out of habit, the hope is that they will eventually disappear from common use. Be sure to keep up with ongoing changes.

Dangerous Abbreviations

Furthermore abbreviations should not be used when referring to the name of a drug. Additionally, avoid using terms from the apothecary system.

Even with the above abbreviations ideally removed, the list of abbreviations can seem exhaustive. Therefore, abbreviations have been categorized into different groups with similar meanings, such as: drug administration routes, terms related to time and amounts, etc.

Parenteral (par = beyond & enteral = intestine) administration routes translates to medication administered in a manner that does not involve the intestines or digestive track.

Examples  of these are:

• intradermal – ID
• intramuscular – IM
• intravenous – IV
• subcutaneous – subQ.

These are injections and infusions that you are likely to encounter during your career in health care. There a several other injection routes that are only administered by qualified physicians:

• intra-arterial – IA (into the artery)
• intracardial – IC (into the heart)
• intraosseous – IO (into the bone)
• intraspinal – IS (into the spine)

Abbreviations referring to method of administration

Abbreviations referring to route of administration

Abbreviations of months of the year

Abbreviations referring to time or frequency of administration

Other Abbreviations commonly used in the Health Care Industry

When writing and reading medical order and prescriptions, be sure to take care. A cursory or skimmed over reading of a medical order could lead to problems for an innocent patient. Similarly poor penmanship and sloppy writing can equally be a cause for concern. Read carefully with attention to detail.  Ensure that your writing is clear and legible. Proofread what you have written.

Interpretation of prescriptions & Medical orderS

In this section, we will use the knowledge that you have gained to ‘translate’ a drug or medication order into the words and actions necessary to properly administer the required medication.

If you are giving a medication to a patient be sure that you remember the five ‘rights’ for administering medication and give:

the right drug
in the right dose
by the right route
at the right time
to the right patient

A medical order (medication order) is a drug order written in a hospital, nursing home, or other such medical facility for an inpatient. A prescription is a drug order written in an office or clinic or for a patient being discharged.

Not all medical orders and prescriptions follow the same format, but they must all contain essential information. We will look at each of these separately.

1. Patient Information: The patient’s full name must appear on the prescription. Other necessary information may be included as well. In this case, the patient’s age (date of birth) and address are also given.
2. Date: The date that the prescription was written must be included. Generally, pharmacies will not fill ‘old’ prescriptions.
3. Medication: The name of the drug must be given. It may be the generic or manufacturer’s name.
4. DIN (Drug Identification Number): A computer-generated eight digit number assigned by Health Canada to a drug product prior to being marketed in Canada. You may see the abbreviation ‘sig’ on a prescription. It comes from the latin signetur (let it be labeled) and means that the instructions will follow.
5. Dosage amount: Must be provided. Be mindful of the units of measurement.
6. Dispensation: The quantity or amount (and form) that the pharmacist is to dispense, such as 30 caplets.
7. Administration route: How the medication to be administered must be given.
8. Frequency: How often the patient is to take the medication.
9. Duration: The number of days that the patient is to take the medication.
10. Refills: Number of refills permitted. If none, ‘0’ or a generic ‘X’ can be used.
11. Physician’s signature: must be on the prescription
12. License number: If a drug is a controlled substance such as narcotic, a registration number must be on the prescription. The Nova Scotia Prescription Monitoring Program ID (NSPMD ID) is an identification number for prescribers (physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners) who intend to dispense or prescribe narcotics, stimulants, or benzodiazepines.

Prescriptions and Medical Orders may include other license numbers, as all physicians who practice medicine in Nova Scotia must be registered and licensed with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (CPSNS).

You may also encounter a Medical Identification Number for Canada (MINC) which is a unique number assigned to all physicians in Canada.

Tips for Students

• Always double-check abbreviations with a reliable source or your instructor.
• Be aware of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) list of dangerous abbreviations.
• Prioritize patient safety by using clear, standardized language.

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