What Does RX In The Doctor's Prescription Mean?

Rx is a medical symbol commonly used even today in prescriptions made by doctors. In the olden days, physicians used a small box symbol (□) in their prescriptions, and though it is still used in some places today, the conventional box symbol has given way to the Rx symbol. It is actually written as the capital letter R with its tail crossed, and not as the letter R in the upper case and the letter x in the lower case. Rx stands for the Latin word 'recipe', which meant 'take'. It was an instruction given by the doctor to the pharmacist to take the list of items (or ingredients) required by him to prepare the medication.

Rx was originally used as an astrological symbol of good luck by physicians, which when printed, first appeared as an uppercase R with its tail extended and crossed.   
Rx is a medical symbol commonly used even today in prescriptions made by doctors. In the olden days, physicians used a small box symbol (□) in their prescriptions, and though it is still used in some places today, the conventional box symbol has given way to the Rx symbol. It is actually written as the capital letter R with its tail crossed, and not as the letter R in the upper case and the letter x in the lower case. Rx stands for the Latin word 'recipe', which meant 'take'. It was an instruction given by the doctor to the pharmacist to take the list of items (or ingredients) required by him to prepare the medication.

Rx was originally used as an astrological symbol of good luck by physicians, which when printed, first appeared as an uppercase R with its tail extended and crossed.