What do TSP, TBSP and ML mean on a prescription?
TSP means teaspoon (about 5 mL), TBSP means tablespoon (about 15 mL), and ML means milliliter.
What it stands for
TSP, TBSP and ML comes from the Latin not Latin: teaspoon and tablespoon are household measures, meaning a teaspoon is about 5 mL, a tablespoon about 15 mL. It tells you the dose amount for a liquid medication.
How it looks on a real label
| Sig code | Label directions |
|---|---|
2 tsp po tid | Take 2 teaspoons by mouth three times daily |
1 tbsp po bid | Take 1 tablespoon by mouth twice daily |
5 ml po q6h prn fever | Take 5 milliliters by mouth every 6 hours as needed for fever |
A teaspoon is about 5 mL and a tablespoon about 15 mL, but a kitchen teaspoon is not a measuring device. Actual cutlery varies widely, which is how a child ends up with noticeably more or less than intended.
For that reason many pharmacies now dose liquids in mL only and supply an oral syringe or a marked cup. If a label says teaspoons, the patient should still be given something calibrated to measure with.
The abbreviations are also a known confusion point: TSP and TBSP differ by one letter and by a factor of three.
Related codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
GTT | drop |
PO | by mouth |
PRN | as needed |
Q4-6H | every 4 to 6 hours |
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This page is educational and is not medical advice. Always follow the directions on your own prescription and ask your pharmacist if anything is unclear.