Things You'll Need:
- Doctor's prescription
- Prescription bottle
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Step 1
Look at your doctor's handwritten prescription. You will see the name of the medication. If you see a name other than the medicine you expected, ask your doctor. Chances are he has prescribed you a generic version of the medicine you expected.
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Step 2
Pay attention to the Latin medical abbreviations written beside or near the name of the medicine. You will see phrases such as PRN (as needed), BID (twice daily), TID (three times daily), QID (four times daily), and SID (once a day). SID is more frequently written as QD.
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Step 3
Study your prescription bottle closely. You will see the patient's name written at the top of the label, followed by the name of the medication and dosage. Below this information will be the directions for usage. The quantity and refill date are below the usage directions. Contact information for the pharmacy will also be there. The RX#, located at the bottom of the medicine bottle, is the number the pharmacy uses to pull up the prescription when you go for a refill.
