PHARMACY ABBREVIATION

What is Abbreviation?
Abbreviation is shortened word or phrases.
Example:
1. Example ( e.g )
2. Government (govt)
3. Important (mpt)
4. Min/max
5. Bkgd (background)
6. Vs (versus)
7. Qty (quantity)
8. Assap (as soon as possible)

What is Acronyms?
Acronyms is a shortened form of word or phrases but often create new words
that are so commonly used, we forget they’re actualy a series of letters from a
longer
Example:
1. Scuba (Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus)
2. Radar ( radio detection and ranging)
3. Laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation)
4. POTUS (President of the United States)
5. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
6. ATM (Automated Teller Machine)
7. VIP (Very Important Person)

As in all professions, a pharmacy technician is faced with a specific vocabulary

that is completed with pharmacy abbreviations that has the important rule in
performing duties connected with the job. Unlike other professions, pharmacy
abbreviation will lead to catastrophic or fatal consequences if any of them are
misinterpreted, or it is called (pharmacy abbreviation errors). It is important and
necessary for any trained medical practitioner to know the English Pharmacy
Abbreviation as well as to know the Latin in order to work as either a
pharmacist or medical doctor.
In the past, problems also arose when practitioners used a different meaning for
the pharmacy abbreviation according to where they were educated. As the
problem above, there has been a push by groups like the Institute for Safe
Medical Practices to adopt a single, unified set of abbreviations that are easily
understood and that should be used in over the world, no matter what state or
part of the country the individual was trained in. For examples:
1. “tsp” for teaspoon, came into use because they were commonly
understood and used widely by society including for cooking activity.
2. “gr” and “ml” are common used to measure the components used in
making a formula.

A. COMMON PHARMACY ABBREVIATIONS

Pharma Latin Abbreviations
Abbreviation Meaning Latin
ad.lib. freely as wanted ad libitum
aq. water Aqua
b.i.d. twice a day bis in die
cap. capsule Capula

div. divide Divide

eq.pts. equal parts equalis partis

h. Hour Hora
no. number Numero

p.r.n. as occasion requires pro re nata

q.s. a sufficient quantity quantum sufficiat
q4h every 4 hours quaque 4 hora
q6h every 6 hours quaque 6 hora
q1d every day quaque 1 die
q1w every week
q.i.d. four times a day quater in die
s.i.d. once a day semel in die
Sig., S. write on the label Signa
stat. immediately Statim
tab. a tablet Tabella
t.i.d. three times a day ter in die

B. MEDICAL AND NURSING

ABBREVIATION

Aa Of each, equal parts (di bagi rata

(jumlah/bentuk yna)

ABR Absolute bed rest (perawatan kedokteran

yang mengharuskan pasien berbaring di
tempat tidur dalam kurun waktu tertentu
karena suatu kondisi medis tertentu)

Abd. Abdomen (perut)

Ac Before meals (sebelum makan)

AD Admitting diagnosis (identifikasi mengenai

kondisi pasien yang setelah pemeriksaan
ternyata menjadi penyebab utama admission
pasien ke ruah sakit untuk dirawat)

A&D Admission and discharge (penerimaan dan

pelepasan pasien)

Ad lib As desired, if the patient so desired (jika

pasien benar-benar menginginkan)

ADL Activities of daily living (aktifitas kehidupan

sehari-hari)

Adm. Admission (masuk)

Ad. Spec. Admission urine specimen (penerimaan

sample urine untuk pemeriksaan)

A.M. or a.m., AM or am Morning (pagi)

Amb Ambulation, walking, ambulatory,

able to walk

amt. Amount (jumlah)

AP or A.P. Appendectomy (suatu prosedur operasi untuk

 memotong dan membuang appendix (usus
buntu)

Aqua Water or H2O (air)

@ At (tiap-tiap bagian)

Approx. Approximately (kurang lebih/kira-kira)

B&B or b&b Bowel and bladder training (latihan buang air

besar/kecil)

bid or B.I.D. or b.i.d. Twice a day (dua kali dalam sehari)

b.m. or B.M. Bowel movement, feces (tinja)

B.P. or BP Blood pressure (tekanan darah)

BR or br or B.R. or b.r. Bedrest (istirahat total)

BRP or B.R.P. or brp Bathroom priviledges (kamar mandi pribadi)

BSC or bsc Bedside commode (toilet duduk)

°C Celsius degree (or centigrade)

? With (dengan)

Ca Cancer

Cath. Catheter (alat bantu berupa selang kecil untuk

mengeluarkan urine pasien)

CBC or C.B.C. Complete blood count (jumlah darah

lengkap)

cc or c.c Cubic centimeter

CCU or C.C.U Cardiac care unit/ coronary care unit (unit

perawatan intensive jantung)

CBR or C.B.R. or cbr Complete bed rest

C/O or c/o Complaint of (keluhan)

CO2 Carbon dioxide

CS or C.S. or c.s Central supply (unit pencucian, penyedian

dan pendistribusian alat yang telah disterilkan
di rumah sakit)
CSD or csd or C.S.D Central service department

CSR or csr and C.S.R Central supply room (unit yang mengatur
penyediaan kamar pasien di RS)

CVA or C.V.A Cerebrovascular accident or stroke (unit yang

menangani pasien luka karena kecelakaan
atau stroke)

CPR or C.P.R Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (unit

penyelamatan serangan jantung)

dc or d/c Discontinue (tidak boleh dilanjutkan karena

suatu kondisi tertentu)

del. M. Or d.r., or DR Delivery room (kamar bersalin)

Disch or dish or D/C Discharge (melepaskan)

D. % C. or D&C Dilatation and curettage (operasi rahim

karena keguguran)

drsg. Dressing (pakaian kusus pasien)

DOA or D.O.A Dead on arrival (pasien yang meninggal

secara klinis sebelum sampai di RS)

Dr. or Dr Doctor

DX Diagnosis (kesimpulan sementara yang

dilakukan oleh seorang tenaga medis untuk
menentuan jenis penyakit dengan cara
meneliti/memeriksa gejala dan tanda)

ECG or EKG Electrocardiogram (alat medis pendeteksi

ketidak normalan jantung)

ED or E.D. Emergency department (unit gawat darurat)

EEG or E.E.G. Electroencephalogram (tes yang dilakukan

untuk mengukur aktivitas kelistrikan dari
otak untuk mendeteksi
Kelainan pada otak)

EENT or E.E.N.T. Eye, ears, nose and throat (mata, telinga,

hidung dan tenggorokan)

E. or E Enema (prosedur medis memasukkan cairan

kedalam kolon melalui anus untuk
merangsang buar air besar (pada saat akan
 dilakukan operasi)

ER or E.R. Emergency room

°F Fahrenheit degree

F. or Fe. or F or Fe Female (perempuan)

FBS or F.B.S Fasting blood sugar (puasa untuk mengetahui

tingkat kadar gula)

FF or F.F. Forced feeding or forced fluids (kondisi

susah makan/minum)

Ft Foot (kaki)

Fx Fracture (patah)

Fx urine Fractional urine (test urine untuk deteksi

penyakit prostat)

Gal Gallon

GI or G.I. Gastrointestinal (pendarahan pada saluran

pencernaan)

Gt One drop (satu tetes)

Gtt Two or more drops (dua atau lebih tetes)

Gtt or G.T.T. Glucose tolerance test (test gula darah)

GU or G.U Genitourinary (sistem urogenital sistem

reproduksi dan sistem kemih)

Gyn. or G.Y.N. Gynecology (kandungan)

H2O Water or aqua (air)

HOB Head of bed

Hr Hour (jam)

HS or hs Bedtime or hour of sleep (waktu tidur)

Ht Height (tingginya)

Hyper Above or high (diatas)

Hypo Below or low (dibawah)

H.W.B. or hwb or HWB Hot water bottle (botol berisi air panas)

ICU or I.C.U. Intensive care unit (ICU)

I&O or I.&O. Intake and output (masuk/keluar)

Irr Irregular (tidak teratur)

Isol. Or isol Isolation (diasingkan)

IV or I.V. Intravenous (intravena)

L Liter

Lab. or lab Laboratory

Lb Pound

LVN or L.V.N Licensed vocational nurse (perawat

bersertifikat)

M Male (laki-laki)

Mat Maternity (bersalin)

MD or M.D. Medical doctor (dokter medis)

Meas Measure (mengukur)

Mec Meconium (kotoran/fases yang dihasilkan

bayi selama dalam kandungan)

Med Medicine (obat-obatan)

Min Minute

Ml Milliliter

Mn or mn or M/n Midnight (tengah malam)

N.A. or N/A Nursing aide or nursing assistant

n/g tube or ng. tube or N.G.T. Nasogastric tube ((alat medis yang digunakan
untuk memasukkan nutruasi padapasien
melalui hidung sampai lambung)

Noct At night (malam hari)

NP Neuropsychiatric or nursing procedure

(prosedur keperawatan)
NPO or N.P.O Nothing by mouth (menahan makanan dan air

Nsy Nursery
O2 Oxygen
OB or O.B. Obstetrics
Obt or obt. Obtained
OJ or O.J. Orange juice
Orb. Orderly
OOB or O.O.B. Out of bed
OPD or O.P.D. Outpatient department
OR or O.R. Operating room
Ortho Orthopedics
OT or O.T Occupational therapy or oral temperature
oz. Ounce
PAR or P.A.R. Postanesthesia room
Pc After meals
Ped or Peds Pediatrics
Per by, through
p.m. or P.M., pm or PM Afternoon
PMC or P.M.C Postmortem care
PN or P.N. Pneumonia
Po By mouth
post or p After
postop or post op Postoperative
post op spec After surgeryurine specimen
PP Postpartum (after delivery)
PPBS Postprandial blood sugar
Pre Before
prn or p.r.n. Whenever necessary, when required
preop or pre op Before surgery
pre op spec Urine specimen before surgery
Prep Prepare the patient for surgery by shaving the
skin.
Pt or pt Patient; pint
PT or P.T. Physical therapy
Q Every
Qd Every day
Qh Every hour
q2h Every 2 hours
q3h Every 3 hours
q4h Every 4 hours
QHS or qhs Every night at bed time/ hour of sleep
qid or Q.I.D. Four times a day
qam or q am or q.a.m. Every morning
qod or Q.O.D Every other day
Qs Quantity sufficient, as much as required
Qt Quart
r or R rectal or Rectal
Rm or rm Room
RN or R.N. Registered nurse
Rom or R.O.M. Range of motion
RR or R Rm. Recovery room
Rx Prescription or treatment ordered by a
physician
s or ? Without
S&A Sugar and acetone
S&A test or S.& A. Test Sugar and acetone test
S&K or S.& K. Test Sugar and ketone test
SOB Shortness of breath
Sos Whenever emergency arises; only if
necessary
SPD Special purchasing department
Spec or spec. Specimen
ss or ?? One-half
SSE or S.S.E. Soapsuds enema
Stat At once, immediately
STD Sexually transmitted disease
Surg Surgery
tid or T.I.D. Three times a day
TLC or tlc Tender loving care
TPR Temperature, pulse, respiration
TWE Tap water enema
U/a or U/A or u/a Urinalysis
Ung. Ointment, unguentine
VDRL Test for syphilis
V.S or VS Vital signs
WBC or W.B.C. White blood count
w/c Wheel chair
wc or W.C. Ward clerk
Wt Weight

EXERCISES 1.
FIND THE ABBREVIATION & MAKE THE SENTENCE! (10)
1. _______: _______________________________________________________
2. _______: _______________________________________________________
3. _______: _______________________________________________________
4. _______: _______________________________________________________
5. _______: _______________________________________________________
6. _______: _______________________________________________________
7. _______: _______________________________________________________
8. _______: _______________________________________________________
9. _______: _______________________________________________________
10. _______: _______________________________________________________

EXERCISES 2.
FIND THE MEANING OF THE ABBREVIATION BELOW!
1. qAM : __________________ qPM : ______________________________
2. qWK : __________________ qMO : ______________________________
 3. AC : __________________
4. UD : __________________
5. INJ : __________________
6. Alt : __________________
7. Ext. : __________________
8. M.d.u. : _________________
9. N.et m : _________________
10. IV : _________________
11. NP : _________________
PC : ______________________________
QS : ______________________________
IM : ______________________________
aa. : ______________________________
inf : ______________________________
m.d. : ______________________________
mist. : ______________________________
pulv. : ______________________________
ss. : ______________________________

EXERCISES 3.
WRITE A MEANING OF SINGLE ABRREVIATION BELOW AND MAKE A
SENTENCE OF THEM!
- Add - adv - app - arr - arrvl
- Asap - attn - avg - cfm - co
- Cont - dbl - del - dep - dept
- Encl - doc - dly - lst - max
- Esp - ext - nxt - pls - rgds
- Info - rply - asst. - recd - mtg