What does the Rx symbol mean on the pharmacy signs?

Answer

It is believed that the Rx symbol is an abbreviation for the Latin word "Recipere" which liteally means, "Take, thou".

In Roman times, pharmacists were also doctors that would prescribe a mixture of herbs, minerals etc., which they prepared in-house with "recipies".

There are many other ideas out there, but this seems to be the most widely accepted answer.

correct answer

the Rx on a pharmacy means "prescription"

Real Correct Answer

The answers above are partially correct. In contemporary times, Rx is simply referred to as a prescription. It was originally recipere of x, x being the variable.

Rx means 'recipe of x'. Much like algebraic functions written as f_(x), which means the function at point 'x' which can be substituted for any point in the equation. Rx means recipe for 'x', x being whatever the prescription is for. For example, if there was a prescription for a compounded medication called, lets say Bills Foot Cream, the precription would look something like this:

Rx: Bill's Foot Cream
clotrimazole 1%
hydrocortisone 2%
urea 5%
salicylic acid 5%
hydrophilic base cream qs 50 grams

Sig: Apply sparingly to affected areas twice daily

Mitte: 50 grams

This means the recipe of 'x', in this case 'x' is Bills Foot Cream

This is a long winded answer with a longer winded example, but I hope it is informative and fully answers the question.

First answer by MmmDietCoke. Last edit by Reverandglenn. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 26 [recommend question]