This is a list of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions, including hospital orders (the patient-directed part of which is referred to as sig codes).
This list does not include abbreviations for pharmaceuticals or drug name suffixes such as CD, CR, ER, XT (See Time release technology § List of abbreviations for those).
This list includes all that are frequently encountered in today's health care in English-speaking regions.
[5] In the United States, abbreviations which are deprecated by the Joint Commission are marked in red; those abbreviations which are deprecated by other organizations, such as the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) and the American Medical Association (AMA), are marked in orange.
While their recommendations are not binding on U.S. physicians, they are required of organizations who wish accreditation by the Joint Commission.