Prescription abbreviations
What QHS means
on a prescription.
QHS on a prescription means every night at bedtime. It comes from the Latin quaque hora somni and is used mostly on American prescriptions. The safety group ISMP recommends writing it all in capitals or all in lowercase, because a mixed form like Qhs has been misread as “every hour”.
QHS
every night at bedtime
quaque hora somni, Latin for “every night at bedtime”
Also written q.h.s., qhs
QHS and HS
Both mean bedtime. ISMP’s 2024 list recommends QHS over HS, because HS can also mean half-strength.
Why the capitals matter
Written Qhs, with a capital Q and lowercase letters after it, the abbreviation has been read as qhr, every hour. ISMP advises QHS or qhs.
Setting it up in AlongWell
Choose Bedtime when you add the medicine, and AlongWell reminds at your family’s bedtime each night.
Questions
What does QHS mean on a prescription?
Every night at bedtime, from the Latin quaque hora somni.
Is QHS the same as HS?
Both mean bedtime. Safety groups now prefer QHS, because HS can also mean half-strength.
Sources
- Partial list of prescription abbreviations (mn.gov), read 28 October 2026
- ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations (2024), read 28 October 2026
- ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations (2021), read 28 October 2026
- PSQH: ISMP updates tool for 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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