Medical abbreviation for “as needed”.


Latin phrase meaning in the circumstances or as the circumstance arises. It is commonly used in medicine to mean as needed or as the situation arises. It is generally abbreviated to p.r.n. in reference to the dosage of prescribed medication that is not scheduled; instead, the decision of when to administer the drug is left to the nurse, caregiver or the patient’s prerogative. (Centers for Disease Control, 2018)