leading zero

Medical term Safety and Compliance Do Not Use list

Zero before a decimal point for amounts under one (0.5 mg). Omitting it (.5 mg) is on the Do Not Use list: the dose can be read as 5 mg.

Sources

• ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations (2021): D/C may mean discharge or discontinue · Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
• Facts about the Official "Do Not Use" List of Abbreviations (archived copy, 17 Jan 2019; the list is now kept in standard IM.02.02.01, EPs 2-3, per the 2025 fact sheet) · The Joint Commission (via Internet Archive)

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