Decoding a Prescription
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.