Phlebotomy Abbreviations and the Do-Not-Use List
Read orders and requisitions fluently, and never write an abbreviation on The Joint Commission's Do Not Use list; write the full word instead.
The Joint Commission 'Do Not Use' list
| do not write | why | write instead |
|---|---|---|
| U, u (unit) | Read as 0, 4 or cc | unit |
| IU (international unit) | Read as IV or 10 | International Unit |
| Q.D., QD, q.d., qd (daily) | Confused with Q.O.D.; the period after Q looks like I | daily |
| Q.O.D., QOD, q.o.d., qod (every other day) | The O looks like I | every other day |
| Trailing zero (X.0 mg) | Decimal missed: 5.0 read as 50 | X mg |
| No leading zero (.X mg) | Decimal missed: .5 read as 5 | 0.X mg |
| MS, MSO4, MgSO4 | Morphine sulfate and magnesium sulfate confused | the full drug name |
Applies to all orders, preprinted forms and medication-related documentation, handwritten or electronic. A trailing zero may still be used where precision must be shown, such as laboratory results.
List confirmed against The Joint Commission's standards FAQ (last updated January 12, 2026, read through an archived copy); the reasons come from the Joint Commission's official table.
Preview only. The full sheet also covers: Abbreviations on orders and requisitions.
Sources
- Official "Do Not Use" List (fact sheet); jointcommission.org blocks scripted access, list confirmed via the peer-reviewed reprint below · The Joint Commission
- Table 1: Official Do Not Use list of abbreviations from the Joint Commission (reproduced in a peer-reviewed study of abbreviation alerts, PMC3005872) · PubMed Central
- Appendix B: Some Common Abbreviations · U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus)
- Melanson SEF. Strategies (You Will Need a Few) on How to Decide Upon and Provide Necessary STAT Testing. Clinical Laboratory News, Bench Matters, March 1, 2019 · Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM)
- NPO, or Nothing by Mouth: 3 Things You Need to Know · UVA Health Radiology and Medical Imaging (University of Virginia)
- Prothrombin Time Test and INR (PT/INR) (Medical Test) · MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) (Medical Tests) · MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) Test (Medical Test) · MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Standards FAQ: Use of abbreviations, acronyms, symbols and dose designations (prohibited abbreviations list; last updated January 12, 2026; read via Internet Archive) · The Joint Commission
Free Routine Blood Collections practice questions
- Question 1Under CLIA, a laboratory's written labeling procedure must call for the patient's name or a unique identifier and, when appropriate, which other item?
- Question 2Croatian national recommendations allow tubes to be labeled after the draw only if the patient is still seated in front of the phlebotomist. Why?
- Question 3According to MedlinePlus, emergency services should be called when a seizure lasts longer than how long?