Health Insurance Prescription Drug Insurance Prescription Abbreviations Including Sig By Michael Bihari, MD Fact checked by Fact checked by Ashley Hall on February 22, 2020 linkedin Ashley Hall is a writer and fact checker who has been published in multiple medical journals in the field of surgery. Learn about our editorial process Ashley Hall on February 22, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Preventing Medical Error Reading a Prescription Medical Abbreviations Examples Doctors use prescription abbreviations (based on Latin words) that tell your pharmacist which medication to give you and directions on how to use that medication. If you learn to understand the medical shorthand used by your doctor, you can read your own prescription immediately after it is written. This will help make sure that you know what medication you are getting and it will give you a chance to ask questions about your doctor's instructions. Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images Prevent a Prescription Medical Error The more you understand about your prescription, the less likely it is that you will have a medical error. For example, your pharmacist may make a mistake reading your doctor's handwriting. If your doctor's writing is not clear and easily read, your prescription may take longer to fill or you may be given the wrong dose or the wrong directions. As a smart medical consumer, it is a good idea to check your prescription and make sure that it is filled correctly at the pharmacy. If you think there is an error or a discrepancy, you can alert the pharmacist or call your doctor. Some doctor's offices now use electronic prescribing. You may receive a printed prescription to take to the pharmacy, or your prescription may be faxed or e-mailed to the pharmacy. Ask to see a printout of these prescriptions before leaving your doctor's office If you do not understand what your prescription says, do not be shy. Ask your doctor or another healthcare provider in the office for assistance. Your questions may help detect and prevent an error. Quick Tip Ask your doctor to write down on the prescription for what condition your medication is being used; e.g., not just "take once a day" but "take once a day for high cholesterol." Reading Your Prescription Your prescription is usually written on a pre-printed pad with your doctor's name, address, and phone number. You may also see, either on the top or bottom of the prescription, special identification numbers, such as your doctor's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) number for narcotics or controlled substances. Of course, there is space for your name and address, your age, the date, a place for your doctor's signature, and a blank area in which your doctor writes the following directions: Name of the medicationDose of the medicationHow often to take the medicationWhen to take the medicationHow to take the medication Additionally, your doctor will indicate how much medicine the pharmacist should give you and the number of times that your prescription can be refilled. Common Medical Abbreviations Your doctor may use different abbreviations or symbols. If you do not understand them, ask your doctor or pharmacist for clarification. Medical Abbreviations How Often to Take Your Medication ad lib freely, as needed bid twice a day prn as needed q every q3h every 3 hours q4h every 4 hours qd every day qid four times a day qod every other day tid three times a day When to Take Your Medication ac before meals hs at bedtime int between meals pc after meals How Much Medication to Take cap capsule gtt drops i, ii, iii, or iiii number of doses (1, 2, 3, or 4) mg milligrams mL milliliters ss one-half tab tablet tbsp tablespoon (15 mL) tsp teaspoon (5 mL) How to Use Your Medication ad right ear al left ear c or o with od right eye os left eye ou both eyes po by mouth s or ø without sl sublingual top apply topically DAW When writing a prescription, your doctor may use either the generic name of the medication or the brand name. For example, sertraline is the generic name and Zoloft is the brand name used to identify a medication frequently prescribed for the treatment of depression. In many states, pharmacists are allowed to dispense a generic medication even if your doctor writes a prescription for the brand name version of the drug. However, if your doctor writes DAW (which means "dispense as written") or initials a box labeled DAW on your prescription, the pharmacist cannot legally substitute a generic medication for the brand name one. Sig Often the abbreviation "sig" will appear just before the directions on the prescription. "Sig" is short for the Latin, signetur, or "let it be labeled." Examples Your diagnosis is high cholesterol: Zocor 10 mg: This is the name of the medication and the dose.Sig: i po qhs: Your instructions are to take 1 pill, by mouth, at bedtime.Dispense #90: You will be given 90 pills, enough for about 3 months.Refill 0 times:Your doctor has indicated no refills, most likely because she would like to check your blood cholesterol and then decide if you need more medication or a different dose.DAW left blank: Your pharmacist will most likely give you simvastatin, the generic version of Zocor. Your diagnosis is type 2 diabetes: Glucophage 500 mg: This is the name of the medication and the dose.Sig: i po bid pc: Your instructions are to take 1 pill, by mouth, twice each day, after meals—this means that you should take this medication right after breakfast and right after dinner.Dispense #180: You will be given 180 pills, enough for three months.Refill 3 times: Your doctor has indicated three refills, enough medication for one year. This may mean that your diabetes is "stable" and well-controlled on this medication.DAW left blank: Your pharmacist will most likely give you metformin, the generic version of Glucophage. Your diagnosis is high blood pressure: Diovan 40 mg: This is the name of the medication and the dose.Sig: i po qd: Your instructions are to take 1 pill, by mouth, once each day; you most likely can take this medication either before or after a meal since your doctor did not say otherwise.Dispense #90: You will be given 90 pills, enough for about 3 months.Refill 0 times: Your doctor has indicated no refills, most likely because she would like to check your blood pressure and then decide if you need more medication or a different dose.DAW left blank: Your pharmacist will likely give you valsartan, the generic version of Diovan. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Pharmacy Times. A Technician's Guide to Pharmacy Abbreviations. Fallaize R, Dovey G, Woolf S. Prescription legibility: bigger might actually be better. Postgrad Med J. 2018;94(1117):617-620. doi:10.1136/postgradmedj-2018-136010. Ross JS. Therapeutic Substitution-Should It Be Systematic or Automatic?. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(6):776. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.2271 Additional Reading Samaranayake NR, Bandara WG, Manchanayake CM. A narrative review on do's and don'ts in prescription label writing - lessons for pharmacists. Integr Pharm Res Pract. 2018;7:53-66. doi:10.2147/IPRP.S163968