What does Rx mean on a prescription?
Rx means prescription. It comes from the Latin recipe, “take”, which opened a prescription as an instruction to the pharmacist.
- Means:
- prescription / take
- From:
- recipe
- Type:
- Pharmacy instruction
- Also written:
- rx, RX, ℞
What it means in practice
The symbol now stands for prescription generally — a prescription-only medicine is “Rx only”. The crossed tail is thought to be an abbreviation mark rather than any symbol of Jupiter, though that story is often repeated.
Example on a prescription
Rx: Amoxicillin 500 mg. Sig: 1 cap PO TID x 7 days
Prescription for amoxicillin 500 mg; take one capsule by mouth three times a day for seven days.
Commonly confused with
- SIGSig is the instruction line inside the prescription; Rx heads the prescription.
Frequently asked questions
What does Rx stand for?
The Latin recipe, meaning 'take'. In modern use it simply means prescription.
What does Rx only mean?
The medicine can only be supplied on a prescription from a licensed prescriber, not bought over the counter.
Related abbreviations
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This page explains prescription notation for general information. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescriber or pharmacist. If a label is unclear or differs from what you were told, check with your pharmacy before taking the medicine.