What's short for pharmacy?

What’s the Short Form of “Pharmacy”?

When you're scanning a medical document, prescription label, or even a doctor’s notepad, you’ve probably seen shorthand versions of the word pharmacy. The two most common abbreviations are phar. and Rx. While they may look similar in function, they serve slightly different contexts.

Phar. (sometimes written as pharm.) is a straightforward abbreviation of the word itself. It’s often used in informal writing, healthcare settings, or on forms where space is limited. Want to make it plural? Just add an s—so it becomes pharms. or pharms. Though not common in everyday conversation, it’s useful in notes or technical writing.

Then there’s Rx, a symbol with deeper roots. Derived from the Latin word recipe, meaning “take” or “take thus,” Rx has long been associated with medical prescriptions. Today, it’s widely recognized as shorthand for anything related to prescriptions or pharmaceuticals—think pharmacy websites, drug labels, or clinic signage. Unlike phar., Rx doesn’t have a plural form. You won’t see “Rxs” in formal writing, though it sometimes appears informally in slang or shorthand notes.

Both abbreviations are helpful in different contexts—phar. for brevity, and Rx for tradition and specificity. Whether you're reading a doctor’s scribble or filling out a medical form, recognizing these shortcuts can make navigating healthcare a little easier.