Abbreviation:PO vs OR

[sphinx]

OK, here I go:

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)!!

[sphinx, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by ktwlpn

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.....

Well, I guess it would maybe be understandle except the med records are for our use only.......they are entered into the computer, and from there they generate a printed order to be sent to the doctor to sign (and honestly, the print outs are what look so confusing with "OR" as the abbreviation, it looks like you are using the term as in "either this OR that". What I did for any lay person that might be assiting with meds in the home was either write a chart by hand (not using medical abbreviations!:) ) or make one up on the computer. I don't do private duty, they might do things differently, having to have an actual med sheet on hand for the private duty LPN to dispense meds. But they of course, are licensed and would understand the abbreviations used.

As for picking the program up cheap...I truly have no idea. I do know the product is/was still in beta, and we have been working bugs out for MONTHS. It also seems that it may have been designed for a smaller agency than ours. In any case, the med section is done by a seperate entity, which the charting software incorporates into itself.

[luvbug]

I think OR means "operating room." PO means "per oral" and has been the standard definition for years.

[redshiloh]

I always just love it when experts on computers try to write software for medicine. Since they are usually clueless on the medicine side and heaven forbid they get a nurse consultant, a lot of what we get makes no sense!