Official “Do Not Use” List¹ 

Do Not Use                                          Potential Problem                               Use Instead

 

U (unit)                                                 Mistaken for “0” (zero), the                     Write "unit"

                                                            number “4” (four) or “cc”

 

IU (International Unit)                          Mistaken for IV (intravenous)                   Write "International Unit

                                                            or the number 10 (ten)

 

Q.D., QD, q.d., qd (daily)                      Mistaken for each other                         "Write "daily"    

 

Q.O.D., QOD, q.o.d, qod                       Period after the Q mistaken for               Write "every other day"

(every other day)                                  "I" and the "O" mistaken for "I"

 

Trailing zero (X.0 mg)*                         Decimal point is missed                         Write X mg       

Lack of leading zero (.X mg)                                                                           Write 0.X mg

 

MS                                                       Can mean morphine sulfate or                 Write "morphine sulfate"

                                                            magnesium sulfate                                 Write "magnesium sulfate"

MSO₄ and MgSO₄                                 Confused for one another

 

¹ Applies to all orders and all medication-related documentation that is handwritten (including free-text

computer entry) or on pre-printed forms.

 

*Exception: A “trailing zero” may be used only where required to demonstrate the level of precision of the value being reported, such as for laboratory results, imaging studies that report size of lesions, or

catheter/tube sizes. It may not be used in medication orders or other medication-related documentation.

 

Additional Abbreviations, Acronyms and Symbols

(For possible future inclusion in the Official “Do Not Use” List)

 

Do Not Use                                           Potential Problem                               Use Instead

 

> (greater than)                                   Misinterpreted as the number                  Write “greater than”

< (less than)                                         “7” (seven) or the letter “L”                       Write “less than”

                                                                  Confused for one another

 

Abbreviations for drug names             Misinterpreted due to similar                   Write drug names in full

                                                            abbreviations for multiple drugs

 

Apothecary units                                 Unfamiliar to many                                 Use metric units

                                                            practitioners

                                                                  Confused with metric units

 

@                                                        Mistaken for the number                         Write “at”

                                                            “2” (two)

cc                                                        Mistaken for U (units) when                    Write "ml" or “milliliters”

                                                            poorly written

µg                                                        Mistaken for mg (milligrams)                   Write "mcg" or “micrograms”

                                                            resulting in one thousand-fold

                                                            overdose