Prescription abbreviations
What 1-0-1 means
on a prescription.
1-0-1 on a prescription means one dose in the morning, none in the afternoon and one at night. Many prescriptions in India write the day this way, as three numbers for morning, afternoon and night. There is no official standard for it, so if the numbers aren’t clear, check with the doctor or pharmacist.
1-0-1
one in the morning, one at night
Also written 1-1-1, 1-0-0, 0-0-1
Reading the three numbers
Read the numbers left to right as morning, afternoon and night. A hospital in Jaipur explains 1-0-1 this way: one in the morning, none in the afternoon, one at night. By the same reading, 1-1-1 is a dose at each of the three times, 1-0-0 is the morning only, and 0-0-1 is the night only.
When a number isn’t 1
Some prescriptions put a 2 or a ½ in a slot. Safety groups advise writing “half tablet” in words rather than a fraction, because a fraction can be misread. If a number is unclear, ask before giving the dose.
A convention, not a standard
We couldn’t find an Indian government, pharmacy council or medical journal source that defines this notation, so treat it as a convention between doctor and patient. Some prescribers may mean evening rather than night for the last number.
Setting it up in AlongWell
Type the medicine with its numbers, such as “Metformin 500 1-0-1 after food”. AlongWell reads the numbers into a schedule and keeps the shorthand beside it, so you can check the times before saving.
Questions
What does 1-0-1 mean on a prescription?
One dose in the morning, none in the afternoon and one at night. The three numbers stand for morning, afternoon and night.
What does 1-1-1 mean on a prescription?
A dose in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night, reading the numbers the same way.
What does 0-0-1 mean on a prescription?
One dose at night only, with none in the morning or afternoon.
Sources
- Rungta Hospital, Jaipur: how to read a doctor’s prescription (in Hindi), read 28 October 2026
- ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations (2024), read 28 October 2026
This page explains what an abbreviation means. It doesn’t say how much to take or when: follow what the doctor wrote, and ask your pharmacist if any part of a prescription is unclear.
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