Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMeaning of QIDMeaning of Q6HAbbreviations on PrescriptionsPreventing Medication Errors
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Meaning of QID
Meaning of Q6H
Abbreviations on Prescriptions
Preventing Medication Errors
QID and Q6H are bothmedical abbreviations used on prescription medications. QID medications should be taken four times a day, while Q6H should be taken every six hours. While this may seem redundant, it’s not. There’s a key difference.
Medications labeled Q6H need to be taken following a specific schedule. You may need to wake up at night to take a dosage to make sure you’re spacing each dose six hours apart.
This article explains the medical abbreviations QID and Q6H and covers other common medical terms used to describe how and when to take your medicine.
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Medical Abbreviation QID
The medical abbreviation QID means four times a day. It may be written as QID, qid, or q.i.d. It is Latin forquater in die, which translates to “four times per day.”
You only need to take QID medication when you’re awake. Your prescription may come with the note “QID while awake” or something similar to clarify that this is the case.
The following times of day are optimal for taking QID medication, and the time between doses doesn’t have to be exact:
Difference Between Drug Dose and Dosage
Medical Abbreviation Q6H
Whether written as Q6H, q6h, or q.6.h., this medical abbreviation stands for the Latin phrasequaque 6 hora, or “every six hours.” Q6H medications are categorized as around-the-clock (ATC) medications. ATC medications need to be taken at set intervals so the drug levels in your blood stay consistent and high enough.
ATC medications include drugs forheart diseaseandhigh blood pressureas well asblood thinners(drugs that keep your blood from clotting).Severe pain is also often managed with ATC dosing. Pain tends to come back quickly once the dose wears off. Taking the right dose at set intervals may help keep your pain from spiking.
If you’re prescription says Q6H, you can take your doses at the following times or at any other time of day as long as you keep a six-hour regimen:
Taking Around-the-Clock Medications
Common Medical Abbreviations on Prescriptions
You may see theseabbreviations on your prescription, and your pharmacy should give you written instructions explaining them.
Some abbreviations, like QD (once a day), QOD (every other day), and others, can be easily confused with one another and are no longer used.These terms must be written out because they can contribute to medication errors.
Medication errors can and do happen. They often cause side effects, which may require an emergency room visit or hospitalization. Some errors lead to death, including those involvingopioid medications. It’s estimated that half of these errors are preventable.
Summary
Be sure your provider or pharmacist clearly explains how and when to take your medicine. Ask them to clarify what you do not understand or would like to know about this drug. This can help prevent medication errors.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine.Warfarin.Scarborough BM, Smith CB.Optimal pain management for patients with cancer in the modern era.CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68(3):182-196. doi:10.3322/caac.21453Lockwood W.Medical errors prevention and safety.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Patient Safety Network.Medication errors and adverse drug events.Additional ReadingHaseeb A, Winit-Watjana W, Bakhsh AR, et al.Effectiveness of a pharmacist-led educational intervention to reduce the use of high-risk abbreviations in an acute care setting in Saudi Arabia: A quasi-experimental study.BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e011401. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011401Pharmacy Times.A technician’s guide to pharmacy abbreviations.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine.Warfarin.Scarborough BM, Smith CB.Optimal pain management for patients with cancer in the modern era.CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68(3):182-196. doi:10.3322/caac.21453Lockwood W.Medical errors prevention and safety.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Patient Safety Network.Medication errors and adverse drug events.Additional ReadingHaseeb A, Winit-Watjana W, Bakhsh AR, et al.Effectiveness of a pharmacist-led educational intervention to reduce the use of high-risk abbreviations in an acute care setting in Saudi Arabia: A quasi-experimental study.BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e011401. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011401Pharmacy Times.A technician’s guide to pharmacy abbreviations.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine.Warfarin.Scarborough BM, Smith CB.Optimal pain management for patients with cancer in the modern era.CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68(3):182-196. doi:10.3322/caac.21453Lockwood W.Medical errors prevention and safety.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Patient Safety Network.Medication errors and adverse drug events.
National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine.Warfarin.
Scarborough BM, Smith CB.Optimal pain management for patients with cancer in the modern era.CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68(3):182-196. doi:10.3322/caac.21453
Lockwood W.Medical errors prevention and safety.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Patient Safety Network.Medication errors and adverse drug events.
Haseeb A, Winit-Watjana W, Bakhsh AR, et al.Effectiveness of a pharmacist-led educational intervention to reduce the use of high-risk abbreviations in an acute care setting in Saudi Arabia: A quasi-experimental study.BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e011401. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011401Pharmacy Times.A technician’s guide to pharmacy abbreviations.
Haseeb A, Winit-Watjana W, Bakhsh AR, et al.Effectiveness of a pharmacist-led educational intervention to reduce the use of high-risk abbreviations in an acute care setting in Saudi Arabia: A quasi-experimental study.BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e011401. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011401
Pharmacy Times.A technician’s guide to pharmacy abbreviations.
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