Q: What does the Rx in a...

Q: What does the Rx in a prescription stand for?

A: Although its origins are long buried, it is now generally agreed that Rx stands for the Latin word recipe, meaning “take.” It may also be traced to the symbol for Jupiter, which was placed on ancient prescriptions to appeal to that god for favorable action of the medicine.

In the modern era of pills and syrups, people tend to forget that the prescription was originally a recipe for the pharmacist, who compounded the medicine from common ingredients. A prescription actually has several parts: Rx is the superscription, meaning “take”; the inscription contains the names and quantities of ingredients; the subscription represents the directions for compounding; and the signature, usually introduced by the sign S., gives the directions for the patient.