PP Reading Prescription Abbreviation

Postprandial

Postprandial (abbreviated as PP) is a medical term meaning “after a meal” and is frequently used in prescriptions, clinical notes, and diagnostic instructions. In reading prescriptions, PP indicates that a medication should be taken or a measurement should be recorded following food intake—usually within a specific time frame, such as 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating. The term is also commonly applied in blood glucose testing, where “PP” specifies measurements taken after meals to monitor metabolic responses in patients with diabetes.

Including PP in a prescription helps ensure proper drug absorption and effectiveness, as certain medications work best or cause fewer side effects when taken after food. Similarly, in diagnostic contexts, PP timing is important for obtaining accurate test results that reflect the body’s post-meal physiological state.