What are Sig Codes!?
- Katie Reigelsperger
- Feb 10, 2022
- 1 min read
If you’ve ever received a handwritten prescription and aren’t sure what all of the codes and initials mean, you’re not alone! Sig codes are a way for the doctor to communicate to the pharmacy which medication the patient should take, when it should be taken, and how much of it should be taken. Most sig codes are derived from the Latin language which can make them a bit more confusing, so at KLR Pharmacy Technician Training School, we use handy clues to remember some of the trickier ones! It is also important to note that sig codes can be written in capital or lowercase letters; either way they indicate the same meaning. Here is a guide to keep on hand of some of the most frequently used sig codes and their meanings for prescriptions!
The most commonly used sig code is probably “PO” (by mouth/orally) because that directions appear on a huge percentage of prescriptions. Sig codes are important because they create a standardized shorthand that pharmacists, doctors, and nurses can all understand consistently.Doctors likely use sig codes instead of full words because they are
Faster to write or enter into systems
Universally recognized in healthcare
Yes I knew alot of the sig codes before seeing this blog from working in healthcare.Here are a few examples.QID-4times,BID-2times,TID-3times.
Sig codes are helpful abbreviations pharmacists use to quickly explain how medications should be taken safely and correctly.
Why do you think doctors use these instead of full words?
To speed up data entry for prescription. It also hosts by helping communicate to the pharmacist which Medicaid and the patient should take and how much they should take of it.
Sig codes are important in pharmay because they give clear instructions how a patient should take madication.