Decoding a Prescription

pills

In general, higher education academic coursework does not include overt lessons for new vocabulary; however, when you begin study within a particular discipline and narrow your focus, building esoteric vocabulary becomes essential. For the moment, imagine you are going to work in pharmacy, and will need to read the coding which doctors use to quickly write down the medication needs for their patients. Review the Medical Terminology below, and pay close attention to the Sig Codes (the codes doctors use when writing prescriptions.

Medical Terminology

Word Part of Speech Example
brand adjective The brand name of the drug is Advil.
capsule noun I think that capsule is too big to swallow.
cream noun What percent is that hydrocortisone cream?
compound noun / verb We need to compound this medication for each, individual patient.
dentist noun My dentist fixed my tooth.
generic adjective The generic name of the drug is ibuprofen.
MA noun The medical assistant checked the patient’s vital signs. / The MA checked the patient’s vital signs.
ointment noun Can you compound an ointment for me?
oral noun Is this medication taken orally?
OTC abbreviation The medication is available over the counter. / The medication is available OTC.
PA noun The physician’s assistant wrote a prescription for the patient. / The PA wrote a prescription for the patient.
pill noun Does that pill come in tablets or capsules?
radiation noun This led pad will protect you from radiation.
Rx abbreviation The doctor ordered a new prescription for the patient. / The doctor ordered a new Rx for the patient.
saline noun We need another IV saline drip.
solution noun What are the ingredients for that solution?
syringe noun What size syringe do you want to use, doctor?
tablet noun That is a 5mg tablet.
topical noun The dentist ordered a topical anesthetic.

Because saving time is so important in the medical field, to ensure the best care for patients, doctors use short abbreviations in their notes and when writing prescriptions. It is important to learn these codes if you plan on working in the medical field. A doctor’s directions on a prescription is called a “sig”.

Specialized Terminology: Sig Codes

Abbreviation Meaning
ac before meals
bid twice a day
c with
g gram
gtt drop
h hour
IV intravenously
IM intramuscular
kg kilogram
ml milliliter
po by mouth; orally
prn as needed
q every
tid three times daily

Exercise

Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.

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