Non-Sterile Quiz A and B

• The prescription consists of the following components: name, address, and age of the patient; date prescribed; superscription -- the Rx; inscription -- names and quantities of the prescribed ingredients; subscription -- directions to the pharmacist; signatura -- directions to the patient; renewal instructions; name of prescriber.
• Drug names are written as generic or brand names, and sometimes in Latin when a prescriber is trying to get fancy.
• Quantities are listed in metric or sometimes apothecary units.
• If quantities are listed in apothecary units, there will be units listed and quantities are often specified in lower case Roman numerals.
• When no units are listed, liquids have assumed units of “ml.” and solids have assumed units of “Gm.”, so it is important to know the physical state of the ingredient.
• When the amount of an ingredient on a prescription is defined by a percentage, the percentage is: - (w/w), i.e. weight by weight, when both the pure solute and diluent are solids; - (v/v), i.e. volume by volume, when both the pure solute and diluent are liquids; - (w/v), i.e. weight by volume, when the pure solute is a solid and the diluent is a liquid.
• The directions should be in the form of complete sentences, using a verb such as take, apply, use, insert, etc., and appropriate punctuation.
• In the case of a pediatric prescription, the verb “give” rather than “take” is more appropriate and used in such cases by some pharmacists.
• During lab exercises, prescriptions should be checked for correctness of the inscription, the subscription and the signature.
• Unusual doses should be brought to the attention of a lab instructor before proceeding.
• Common Latin abbreviations include: ad = to, up to; ad libitum = at pleasure, as much as one pleases; ana = of each.
• The metric system of measurement uses prefixes such as kilo, deci, centi, milli, micro, and nano to indicate different quantities.
• If no units are listed, the metric system is assumed.
• It is best to give patients a calibrated medication cup in which a teaspoon is equal to the 5 ml we assume it to be.
• The symbol for a dram is sometimes used in the sig to be translated to a 5 mL dose
• The apothecary system of units is rarely used in writing and compounding prescriptions and has been replaced by the more familiar metric system.
• The average capacity of a household teaspoon is likely to change over time with design changes in teaspoons.
• The avoirdupois system is used in commerce and is used for weights only.
• A survey was done to determine the capacity of a household teaspoon and the range was found to be very wide.
• What letter can the last letter be replaced with in a roman numeral

  j ex. iii could be iij
• What is inscription

  names and quantities of prescribed ingredients
• ad means


  to or up to
• ad libitum (ad lib) means


  at pleasure or as much as one pleases
• cum (c) means

  with (note there should be a line over the abbv c)
• dentur tales doses (dtd) means

  give of such doses
• quantum sufficit (qs) means

  as much as suffices
• quater in die (q.i.d.) means

  4 times a day
• secundum artem (s.a.)


  according to the art
• semel in die (s.i.d.) means

  once daily (on veterinary prescriptions)
• signa/signatur (sig.) means


  write/let be written, label
• sine (s) means

  without (there must be a bar over the s)
• ter in die (t.i.d.) means

  3 times a day
• when is w/w used

  when pure solute and diluent are solid
• when is v/v used

  when pure solute and diluent are liquid
• when is w/v used

  when pure solute is solid and diluent is liquid
• oz to lb(apothecary)

  12 oz to 1 lb
• fl oz to pt (O.)

  16 fl oz to 1 pt (O.)
• qt to gal (Cong.)

  4 qt to 1 gal (Cong.)
• avoirdupois system used in:


  commerce (purchase of chemicals, weights only)
• oz to lb (avoirdupois)

  16 oz to 1 lb