In December 2008 Australian Health Ministers endorsed standard prescribing terminology, abbreviations and symbols for use in all Australian hospitals. The National terminology, abbreviations and symbols to be used in the prescribing and administering of medicines in Australian hospitals provides principles for consistent prescribing terminology, a set of recommended terms and acceptable abbreviations and a list of error-prone abbreviations, symbols and dose designations that have a history of causing error and must be avoided.
The terminology document is part of a range of national standardisations in Australian hospitals designed to reduce the rate of error and the risk of harm to patients. Other standardisations include the National Inpatient Medication Chart.
National terminology, abbreviations and symbols to be used in the prescribing and administering of medicines in Australian hospitals (PDF 132 KB)
The following is a high resolution version designed for professional printing.
National terminology, abbreviations and symbols to be used in the prescribing and administering of medicines in Australian hospitals (PDF 131 KB)
The Commission maintains the terminology document. Requests for changes to the terminology document should be referred to jurisdictional representatives (PDF 25 KB) on the National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC) Oversight Committee.
The NIMC Oversight Committee considers change requests and advises the Commission of its decisions. A register of change requests, and outcomes of considerations (PDF 12 KB), is publicly available.
Implementing the National Terminology document
States and territories, and hospitals, are taking a variety of approaches to implementation of the standard terminology. The Commission is providing links to initiatives which are implementing or have completed implementation of the terminology document. We will add to these as more resources become available.South Australia developed a policy directive, PowerPoint presentation and promotional materials to implement the terminology document.
Spell it out: Standardised terminology, abbreviations and symbols to be used when communicating about medicines
Western Australia issued an operational directive and promotional materials to operationalise the standard terminology document.
Standardisation of terminology, abbreviations and symbols in the prescribing and administration of medicines.
