Pharmacy Abbreviations Quiz

Pharmacy Abbreviations Overview

• Abbreviations are critical for efficient communication in pharmacy practice.
• Understanding these abbreviations enhances clarity and reduces the risk of medication errors.

Common Dosage Abbreviations

• AC: Administer medications before meals to aid absorption.
• PC: Administer medications after meals, often used for medications that may irritate the stomach.
• QD: Indicates medications to be taken once daily, simplifying dosing schedules.
• BID: Refers to medications taken twice daily, commonly used in chronic treatment plans.
• TID: Indicates three times daily dosing, often for medications requiring more frequent administration.
• QID: Used for medications taken four times daily, requiring careful adherence to schedule.

Timing and Frequency Abbreviations

• OHS: Denotes medications to be taken at bedtime, often for sleep aids or nighttime symptoms.
• QAM: Indicates dosing every morning, frequently used for morning medications like antihypertensives.
• QPM: Refers to evening dosing, often prescribed for medications that manage symptoms overnight.
• QOD: Indicates medications to be taken every other day, useful in minimizing side effects.
• QH: Signifies medications to be taken once every hour, often for urgent or acute situations.
• Q2H: Refers to medication administration every two hours, commonly used in hospital settings for critical care.
• Q3H: Denotes three-hour intervals for medication dosing, typically for medications with short half-lives.

Special Instructions and Administration Routes

• PRN: Indicates that medications are to be taken as needed, allowing patient discretion based on symptoms.
• PO: Means the medication should be administered by mouth, the most common route.
• NPO: Indicates that the patient should not take anything by mouth, often before surgeries or tests.
• SC/SQ: Refers to the subcutaneous route of administering medications, typically for vaccines or insulin.
• IM: Denotes intramuscular administration, common for vaccines and antibiotics.
• IV: Signifies intravenous administration, used for rapid drug delivery or fluids.

Miscellaneous

• OTC: Refers to over-the-counter medications available without a prescription, emphasizing accessibility for common ailments.

Common Medical Abbreviations: A - A-B

• A.A.R.O.M. refers to active assistive range of motion, a technique used in physical therapy to help patients regain movement.
• AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication, which encompasses methods to assist individuals with communication impairments.
• A.B.G. stands for arterial blood gas, a test measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood to assess respiratory function.
• The abbreviation a.c. is used to indicate administration of medication before meals.
• A/C signifies assist control, a mode in mechanical ventilation that allows a patient to initiate breaths while the ventilator provides support.
• ADA Diet refers to guidelines set by the American Diabetes Association for managing diabetes through nutrition.
• A.D.L. denotes activities of daily living, essential tasks individuals perform daily such as eating and dressing.
• A.Fib. stands for atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder that can lead to stroke and other heart conditions.
• AKA is an abbreviation for above-knee amputation or above-the-knee amputation, a surgical procedure to remove a leg above the knee joint.
• ALS refers to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
• AMA indicates against medical advice, a situation where a patient chooses to leave or refuse treatment despite a physician's recommendation.
• A&O means alert and oriented, a term used to describe a patient's mental status regarding their awareness of self, time, and surroundings.
• A/P refers to anterior-posterior, describing a directional orientation in anatomy or medical imaging.
• A.R.O.M. is the abbreviation for active range of motion, a type of joint movement in physical therapy performed by the patient without assistance.
• ASAP means as soon as possible, often used in hospital settings to signify urgency in care or treatment.
• ASD stands for autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disorder characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and communication.
• ASL is the abbreviation for American Sign Language, a visual language primarily used by the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
• b.i.d. denotes taking medication twice a day, often indicated on prescriptions for dosing schedules.
• BKA refers to below-knee amputation, a surgical procedure where the lower leg is removed but the knee joint is retained.
• B/L indicates bilateral, commonly used to describe findings or procedures affecting both sides of the body.
• B.L.BS refers to bilateral breath sounds, conveying that breath sounds were present on both sides of the chest upon examination.
• BMR signifies basal metabolism rate, the rate of energy expenditure at rest in a neutrally temperate environment.
• BP stands for blood pressure, a vital sign measuring the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels.
• BR means bed rest, a recommendation typically given to patients to limit physical activity for recovery purposes.
• bs stands for bowel sounds, indicating sounds made by the intestine during digestion, assessed during physical examinations.
• BS is an abbreviation for breath sounds, indicating the sounds made by air moving through the respiratory tract.
• B/S means bedside, often used in clinical settings to describe care or procedures performed at the patient's bedside.

Test your knowledge of essential pharmacy abbreviations with this quiz. Each abbreviation is crucial for understanding prescription instructions and medication administration. Determine whether you can correctly identify their meanings and usage.