I was always taught that the abbreviation for oral meds is PO. I always used that and thought it was the standard. Our computer charting software uses I believe, Medispan (I think!) for the meds, and the abbreviation used for oral meds is OR. I asked why that is, and was told that when we first started testing the sotware the question was brought up to the makers of the program, who told us that many clinics and hospitals use OR for oral meds, and "no one has ever complained". So my question is.......what does your facility, be it hospital, clinic, homecare, anything at all-use to abbreviate oral meds???? (I am just curious)!!
definately PO is the standard... but that said, the "proton" we use in our computer at work doesn't recognize PO either.. but if you type in OR, it comes up as ORAL. It will accept that.
p.o.: Abbreviation meaning by mouth, orally (from the Latin "per os", by mouth). One of a number of hallowed abbreviations of Latin terms that have traditionally been used in prescriptions. Some others:
a.c. = before meals (from "ante cibum", before meals)
b.i.d. = twice a day (from "bis in die", twice a day)
gtt. = drops (from "guttae", drops)
p.c. = after meals (from "post cibum", after meals)
p.r.n. = when necessary (from "pro re nata", for an occasion that has arisen, as circumstances require, as needed)
q.d. = once a day (from "quaque die", once a day)
q.i.d. = four times a day (from "quater in die", 4 times a day)
q._h.: If a medicine is to be taken every so-many hours (from "quaque", every and the "h" indicating the number of hours)
q.h. = every hour
q.2h. = every 2 hours
q.3h. = every 3 hours
q.4h. = every 4 hours
t.i.d. = three times a day (from "ter in die", 3 times a day)
ut dict. = as directed (from "ut dictum", as directed)
Looks like someone just sat down and made up their own abbreviation. Probably didn't even know a lot of medical terms come from Latin.
Why am I not surprised at the responses so far?! :roll
Keep 'em coming......it's funny, cuz my supervisor didn't realize that the computer had us abbreviate oral as OR, and when the orders were being printed out, there has been some...confusion.
BTW, this charting software is used in homecare. We use MYSIS, which-like I said-uses what I think is "medispan"-for the meds.
Have never seen "by mouth" abbreviated as OR, always po. Sphinx, were there any other strange abbreviations w/ this computer application or was this the only one?
Sounds like the software company is just putting a positive spin on it. The program was probebly written by people unfamiler with medical abrivation. Funny thing is that OR is like a combination of PO and PR lol so I guess that means you can do either P
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Perfectly understandable as it has been stated that the software program is used in homecare....Remember that in homecare the families are providing a great deal of the care and often unlicensed personnel are "assisting" the patient with their meds......Sphinx-were do you work? Did they pick up the program cheap? My mother was on hospice care for several months-nothing pizzed off my sister more then when I used medical abbreviations...I kept forgetting that she had no idea what b.i.d. meant.....
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jnette, ASN, EMT-I
4,388 Posts
definately PO is the standard... but that said, the "proton" we use in our computer at work doesn't recognize PO either.. but if you type in OR, it comes up as ORAL. It will accept that.
Interesting.