How to read a prescription in India: decoding doctor’s handwriting and common abbreviations

The pharmacist counts out the tablets. You glance at the prescription and realise you cannot read a single line of it. The doctor’s writing looks like a seismograph reading. The pharmacist hands you three packets. You take them home. You have no idea what any of them are for.

Reading a prescription in India starts with understanding a shorthand system derived from Latin medical abbreviations terms like OD, BD, TDS, SOS, AC, PC, and HS that tell you when, how often, and how to take each medicine. Most Indian patients receive a prescription without any explanation of this shorthand. This guide decodes every common abbreviation, explains the legal structure of an Indian prescription, and tells you exactly what to do when the handwriting is illegible.

For managing medicines once you can read the prescription, read: generic vs brand medicine India (https://www.seht.in/post/generic-vs-brand-medicine-india-savings)

What you’ll learn:

  •  Every common Indian prescription abbreviation, decoded

  •  The correct structure of a valid Indian prescription

  •  How to handle illegible handwriting safely

  •  The legal categories (Schedule H, H1) that change how a medicine is dispensed

  •  How Seht stores prescriptions in searchable, shareable format

The complete prescription abbreviations guide for India

Abbreviation	What it means	Practical translation
OD	Once Daily (Omni Die)	Take the medicine once every day usually morning unless the doctor specifies
BD	Twice Daily (Bis in Die)	Take twice a day approximately every 12 hours; morning and evening unless specified
TDS / TID	Three times Daily (Ter Die Sumendum)	Take three times a day approximately every 8 hours; 7am, 2pm, 9pm is common spacing
QID / QDS	Four times Daily (Quarter in Die)	Take four times a day approximately every 6 hours
SOS / PRN	When necessary (Si Opus Sit / Pro Re Nata)	Only when needed a pain reliever prescribed SOS is taken only when pain occurs, not routinely
HS	At Bedtime (Hora Somni)	At bedtime; many sedating medicines, some cholesterol medicines, and antacids are prescribed HS
AC	Before Meals (Ante Cibum)	Take before eating affects how the medicine is absorbed; antacids and some antidiabetics are AC
PC	After Meals (Post Cibum)	Take after eating reduces stomach irritation; most antibiotics and anti-inflammatories are PC
STAT	Immediately (Statim)	Take this dose right now usually seen on hospital prescriptions for an urgent dose
Tab	Tablet	The physical form of the medicine
Cap	Capsule	Capsule form should generally not be opened and mixed unless doctor specifies
Inj	Injection	Administered by a healthcare professional, not self-administered without specific training
Syr	Syrup	Liquid form dose usually given in mL or teaspoons; use the measuring spoon, not a kitchen one
x7d / x10d	For 7 / 10 days	Duration take for this number of days and then stop, unless the doctor reviews and extends

The straight answer:

If your prescription says "Tab Metformin 500mg BD PC x30d", it means: take one Metformin 500mg tablet, twice daily, after meals, for 30 days. This is the format behind every Indian prescription. Once you understand the shorthand, even difficult handwriting becomes navigable because you know which section of the prescription contains the drug name, which contains the dose, and which contains the timing.

The structure of a valid Indian prescription

A valid prescription in India has a specific structure, and knowing the structure helps you navigate handwriting even when individual words are unclear:

1. Doctor details (top): Name, qualification (MBBS, MD etc.), MCI registration number, clinic/hospital name, address, and date. Without the registration number and date, the prescription may not be valid for Schedule H or H1 medicines.

2. Patient details: Name, age, sex. For paediatric prescriptions, weight is increasingly included because dosing is weight-based.

3. Rx symbol: This marks the beginning of the prescription proper. Everything below this line is the medicine list.

4. Medicine name: Ideally the generic name (ICMR and MCI guidelines recommend this), but often a brand name. One line per medicine.

5. Dose and frequency: The strength (500mg, 10mg) followed by frequency (OD, BD, TDS) followed by timing relative to meals (AC, PC) followed by duration (x7d, x30d, continue till review).

6. Signature and stamp: Required for validity, particularly for Schedule H and H1 drugs.

What to do with illegible handwriting the correct steps

Step 1: Ask the pharmacist first

A trained pharmacist reads doctors’ handwriting professionally. This is a literal job skill. Most pharmacists can decipher what a patient cannot. Before doing anything else, ask the pharmacist to read the prescription aloud and explain each medicine, the dose, and when to take it. Request that they write the medicine name and instructions in plain language on each packet.

Step 2: Call the clinic, not a WhatsApp group

If the pharmacist is also uncertain, call the clinic or the prescribing doctor’s assistant. Read out what you can see and ask for confirmation. This call takes two minutes and prevents a medication error. Crowdsourcing a prescription reading in a family WhatsApp group is genuinely dangerous even a well-meaning relative may misread a dose and provide confident but incorrect information.

Step 3: Upload the prescription to Seht and note the clarification

Once you have confirmed what each medicine is, photograph the prescription and upload it to the relevant family member’s Seht profile. In the notes section, add the clarification: "Pharmacist confirmed: Atenolol 50mg BD, Rosuvastatin 10mg OD HS". This becomes the permanent record, not a photo in a WhatsApp chat that disappears after seven days.

Schedule H and H1: the legal categories that matter at the pharmacy

• Schedule H medicines: Require a valid prescription for dispensing. The pharmacist cannot sell them over the counter. Most antibiotics, antihypertensives, antidiabetics, and psychotropics fall here.

• Schedule H1 medicines: A more tightly controlled subset third-generation cephalosporins, some antifungals, and certain antibiotics that carry higher misuse risk. These require a prescription with the doctor’s full details and must be recorded in the pharmacy register. A pharmacist who dispenses these without a proper prescription risks their licence.

• Schedule X: Controlled substances (benzodiazepines, some pain medicines) requiring specific prescriptions stored by the pharmacy. These cannot be refilled without a new prescription.

For managing the complete medication routine for elderly parents on multiple Schedule H medicines, read: Managing medicines for elderly parents in India (https://www.seht.in/post/managing-elderly-parent-medicines-india)

When a prescription needs immediate clarification before you fill it

Do not fill the prescription and go home clarify first if:

  ⚠  You cannot read the drug name at all, and the pharmacist is also uncertain

  ⚠  The dose seems unusually high or unusually low for what you know about the medicine

  ⚠  The prescription is for a child and lacks the child’s weight (paediatric dosing is weight-based)

  ⚠  Two medicines on the same prescription are ones you’ve heard should not be taken together

  ⚠  The prescription has no date or the date is more than a few days old for a Schedule H or H1 medicine

Emergency: If you or a family member has taken a wrong dose especially if it is a child, an elderly person, or a double dose of a controlled substance call the National Poison Information Centre (AIIMS) at 1800-11-6117 or 011-26589391 immediately.

---

FAQs

What does OD, BD, and TDS mean on an Indian prescription?

OD (Once Daily) means take the medicine once every day. BD (Twice Daily) means take it approximately every 12 hours morning and evening. TDS (Three Times Daily) means take it approximately every 8 hours typically morning, afternoon, and night. SOS means take only when needed, not on a regular schedule. These abbreviations come from Latin and are standard across Indian prescriptions.

How do I read a prescription in India if the handwriting is illegible?

Ask the pharmacist to read it this is a core professional skill and they can typically decode what patients cannot. If uncertain, call the clinic directly and have someone read back the prescription line by line for confirmation. Never guess a drug name or dose. After clarification, photograph the prescription and upload it to Seht with the confirmed medicine names and doses noted.

What is SOS on a prescription in India?

SOS (Si Opus Sit Latin for ‘if necessary’) means take the medicine only when the specific situation arises typically when symptoms occur. A pain reliever prescribed SOS is only taken when pain is present, not taken routinely every day. If the medicine is prescribed SOS and you are taking it every day, discuss with your doctor whether the frequency is appropriate.

What is a Schedule H drug in India?

Schedule H medicines under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 cannot be sold without a valid prescription. They include most prescription antibiotics, antihypertensives, antidiabetics, and many other medicines. Schedule H1 is a tighter subset of higher-misuse-risk antibiotics and antifungals requiring extra prescription documentation. Pharmacists who dispense Schedule H or H1 medicines without a prescription risk losing their licence.

---

Download Seht — free on iOS and Android

A photographed, uploaded prescription in Seht is searchable by medicine name, dated, and shareable. No more hunting for the slip at the bottom of a bag. No more uncertain pharmacist reads from a WhatsApp photo taken at an angle.

Download free:

---

Sources and references

1. Karpagam Hospital — How to read a prescription and lab report format in India. https://karpagamhospital.in/read-prescription-lab-report-format/

2. Medstown — How to read a prescription and order medicines online correctly. https://www.medstown.com/how-to-read-a-prescription-and-order-medicines-online-correctly/

3. DoctorSpot — What is OD, BD, and TDS in medical terms? https://doctorspot.in/full-form/what-is-od-bd-and-tds-in-medical-terms/

Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Seht helps families stay informed, but is not a substitute for professional healthcare guidance.