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Medical Abbreviations and Prescription Basics
Learn to read the shorthand in medical charts and prescriptions, spot the abbreviations on the ISMP Canada Do Not Use list and handle refill requests with a safe routine. Five short lessons and a quiz, with a certificate of completion.
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The short version
Free, no payment details
Sign up with your name and e-mail and confirm it with a 6-digit code. There is nothing to buy.
About 60 minutes
5 short lessons and one final quiz. Your progress is saved, so you can stop and come back on any device.
Certificate of completion
Finish every lesson and score 70% or more on the final quiz. Retakes are unlimited.
Not a program
This free short course is not part of a Ucademy diploma or certificate program and gives no program credit.
What you will learn
- Read common chart abbreviations for complaint, history, vital signs, tests and plans
- Name the parts of a prescription and read a sig such as 1 cap po tid x 7 d
- Recognize route, frequency and dosage-form shorthand including po, IM, bid, prn and stat
- Identify the dangerous abbreviations on the ISMP Canada Do Not Use list and the safer way to write them
- Use read-back and a five-step routine to handle refill requests and pharmacy calls
- Know when to stop, ask and pass a question to a nurse or prescriber
Who it is for
Adults who are starting out in, or moving into, medical office, clinic reception or hospital unit clerk work, and anyone who wants to read medical shorthand with more confidence. No healthcare experience is needed.
What you need
- A computer, tablet or phone with an internet connection
- Basic English reading skills
- About 60 minutes in total, which you can split across several days
Lessons
- 1Why medical offices use abbreviations11 min
- 2Everyday chart and clinic abbreviations12 min
- 3Reading a prescription12 min
- 4The ISMP Canada Do Not Use list13 min
- 5Safe habits for office staff12 min
- ✓Medical Abbreviations and Prescription Basics: Final Quizfinal quiz
Where this course can lead
Medical Office Assistant & Unit Clerk Certificate
This course is a short, practical introduction. The full program goes much further: 516 hours online, including a 100-hour practicum: medical terminology, electronic medical records, billing, health privacy and unit clerk work.
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See the course →Frequently asked questions
Yes. You sign up for a free account, take the five lessons and the quiz, and pay nothing.
Yes. When you finish the lessons and the quiz you receive a Ucademy certificate of completion. The course is not part of a Ucademy diploma or certificate program.
About 60 minutes in total. The course is online and self-paced, so you can take a lesson at a time.
No. The course starts from the beginning and is written for people new to medical offices and hospital units.
It teaches you to read the parts of a prescription and common shorthand such as po, bid and prn. It is written for office staff, so it covers reading and passing information on, not prescribing or changing doses.
No. It is a free short course, not part of a Ucademy diploma or certificate program, and it does not give program credit.
Start Medical Abbreviations and Prescription Basics today
Free, online and at your own pace, with a certificate of completion.