Contains an aspirin-like medicine
33 Contains an aspirin-like medicine
D Abbreviations and symbols not prescribable under National Health Service
(NHS) C preparation subject to prescription requirements
Internationally recognised units and symbols are used in under The Misuse of Drugs Act. For regulations see the BNF where possible.
p. 7 A prescription-only medicine, see How to use the
ACBS Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances,
BNF, p. ix
see Appendix 7
trade mark
ACE Angiotensin-converting enzyme
limited experience of the use of this product and ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder the CHM requests that all suspected adverse AIDS
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome reactions should be reported, p. 11 approx. approximately
considered by the Joint Formulary Committee to be AV atrioventricular
less suitable for prescribing, see How to use the BAN
British Approved Name
BNF, p. ix
BMI body mass index BP
British Pharmacopoeia 2009, unless otherwise stated
BPC British Pharmaceutical Codex 1973 and Supple- ment 1976, unless otherwise stated
CHM Commission on Human Medicines CHMP
Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use
Latin abbreviations
CNS central nervous system CPMP
Committee on Proprietary Medicinal Products Directions should be in English without abbreviation. CRM
Committee on the Review of Medicines However, Latin abbreviations have been used when CSM
Committee on Safety of Medicines (now subsumed
prescribing.
under Commission on Human Medicines) d. c.
direct current The following is a list of appropriate abbreviations. It DPF
Dental Practitioners’ Formulary should be noted that the English version is not always an e/c
enteric-coated (termed gastro-resistant in BP)
exact translation.
ECG electrocardiogram EEG
= ante cibum (before food) EMEA
electro-encephalogram
a. c.
= bis die (twice daily) f/c
European Medicines Agency
b. d.
= omni die (every day) G6PD
film-coated
o. d.
= omni mane (every morning) HIV
glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase
o. m.
= omni nocte (every night) HRT
Human immunodeficiency virus
o. n.
= post cibum (after food) i/m
Hormone replacement therapy
p. c.
intramuscular p. r. n. = pro re nata (when required) i/v
intravenous q. d. s. = quater die sumendum (to be taken four times INR
international normalised ratio
daily)
MAOI Monoamine-oxidase inhibitor q. q. h. = quarta quaque hora (every four hours) max.
= immediately MCA
maximum
stat
Medicines Control Agency, now MHRA t. d. s. = ter die sumendum (to be taken three times daily) MHRA
= ter in die (three times daily) Agency m/r
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
t.i.d.
modified-release NCL
no cautionary labels, see Appendix 9 NHS
National Health Service NICE
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excel- lence
NPF Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary NSAID
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
E numbers
PGD patient group direction rINN
Recommended International Non-proprietary Name
E223 Sodium RSV
E102 Tartrazine
respiratory syncytial virus E104 Quinoline Yellow Metabisulphite s/c
sugar-coated E110 Sunset Yellow FCF E320 Butylated SLS
Hydroxyanisole SMAC
Selected List Scheme
E123 Amaranth
Standing Medical Advisory Committee E124 Ponceau 4R E321 Butylated SMC
Scottish Medicines Consortium E127 Erythrosine BS Hydroxytoluene SPC
Summary of Product Characteristics E132 Indigo Carmine E322 Lecithins spp.
E420 Sorbitol SSRI
species
E142 Green S
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor E171 Titanium Dioxide E421 Mannitol UK
United Kingdom E172 Iron oxides, iron E422 Glycerol Units
E901 Beeswax USP
for SI units see Prescription Writing, p. 4
hydroxides
United States Pharmacopeia 31 (2008), unless E200 Sorbic Acid (white and yellow) otherwise stated
E211 Sodium Benzoate E1520 Propylene Glycol WHO
World Health Organization