Prescriptions are full of shorthand inherited from Latin, and it can be genuinely confusing. Knowing what the common abbreviations mean helps you take your medicines correctly and spot if something looks wrong.
How often to take it
- OD — once a day
- BD (or BID) — twice a day
- TDS (or TID) — three times a day
- QDS (or QID) — four times a day
- PRN — as needed
- STAT — immediately, straight away
How to take it
- PO — by mouth
- PR — rectally
- AC — before food
- PC — after food
- Nocte — at night; Mane — in the morning
Reading your prescription in Looms
Where possible, Looms shows the dosage and schedule for each prescription in plain terms so you're not left decoding abbreviations. You can review who prescribed each medicine and how to take it on the prescription detail page.
When something looks off
If an instruction is unclear, contradicts what you were told, or looks like a much higher dose than expected, don't guess — check with your pharmacist or the prescriber before taking it. It's always worth a quick call to be certain.