The list below shows some pharmacy abbreviations that you may come across when working on the health care counter and responding to symptoms in the community pharmacy. You may see these abbreviations in over-the-counter (OTC) medicine training material or when reading literature on minor ailments. Pharmacy staff may also mention these abbreviations.
There is also a related list that you might want to check out on medical terms with definitions that specifically cover clinical signs and symptoms.
Audience: Pharmacy students / pre-registration pharmacists / pharmacy technicians
|
Pharmacy Abbreviation |
Meaning |
|---|---|
|
ACE |
Angiotensin-converting enzyme |
|
AOM |
Acute otitis media |
|
BMI |
Body mass index |
|
BV |
Bacterial vaginosis |
|
CB |
Chronic bronchitis |
|
CDH |
Chronic daily headache |
|
CHD |
Coronary heart disease |
|
CHM |
Commission on Human Medicines |
|
COC |
Combined oral contraceptive |
|
CV |
Cardiovascular |
|
CVD |
Cardiovascular disease |
|
DEET |
Diethyltoluamide |
|
DPH |
Diphenhydramine |
|
EAM |
External auditory meatus |
|
ED |
Erectile dysfunction |
|
EHC |
Emergency hormonal contraception |
|
ENT |
Ear, nose and throat |
|
GI |
Gastrointestinal |
|
GORD |
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease |
|
GSL |
General sale list medicine |
|
GTN |
Glyceryl trinitrate |
|
HDL |
High-density lipoprotein |
|
HPV |
Human papillomavirus virus |
|
HRT |
Hormone replacement therapy |
|
HSV |
Herpes simplex virus |
|
IBS |
Irritable bowel syndrome |
|
IHS |
International Headache Society |
|
INR |
International normalised ratio |
|
KCS |
Keratoconjunctivis sicca |
|
LDL |
Low-density lipoprotein |
|
MA |
Marketing authorisation |
|
MAOI |
Monoamine oxidase inhibitor |
|
MAU |
Minor aphthous ulcers |
|
MHRA |
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency |
|
MI |
Myocardial infarction |
|
MMR |
Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine |
|
NICE |
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence |
|
NNT |
Numbers needed to treat |
|
NRT |
Nicotine replacement therapy |
|
NSAIDs |
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs |
|
NSF |
National service framework |
|
OA |
Osteoarthritis |
|
OCP |
Oral contraceptive pill |
|
OE |
Otitis externa |
|
ORT |
Oral rehydration therapy |
|
OTC |
Over-the-counter |
|
P |
Pharmacy medicine |
|
PD |
Primary dysmenorrhoea |
|
PDE5 |
Phosphodiesterase 5 |
|
PGD |
Patient group direction |
|
PID |
Pelvic inflammatory disease |
|
PIL |
Patient information leaflet |
|
PL |
Product licence |
|
PMR |
Patient medication record |
|
PMS |
Premenstrual syndrome |
|
POM |
Prescription only medicine |
|
PPI |
Proton pump inhibitor |
|
RA |
Rheumatoid arthritis |
|
RCT |
Randomised controlled trial |
|
RICE |
Rice |
|
RIMA |
Reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A |
|
SLE |
Systemic lupus erythematosus |
|
SmPC |
Summary of product characteristics |
|
SPF |
Sun protection factor |
|
SSRI |
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor |
|
STD |
Sexually transmitted disease |
|
TB |
Tuberculosis |
|
TC |
Total cholesterol |
|
TCA |
Tricyclic antidepressant |
|
TENS |
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation |
|
TIA |
Transient ischaemic attack |
|
URTI |
Upper respiratory tract infection |
|
UTI |
Urinary tract infection |
|
VVC |
Vulvovaginal candidiasis |
|
WHO |
World Health Organization |
|
WWHAM |
Who is the patient |
