What does PRN stand for?

PRN is a medical term pertaining to medication. PRN stands for prescribed as needed and refers to medicines that a patient takes only when they need it versus medicines that would be taken on a schedule at a certain time and a certain number of times a day.

At times PRN may also refer to other things such as an employee that is not considered to be employed full time or even part time but instead is called into work when needed. A hospital, a doctor’s office or a nursing home are often places where one would find PRN employees as well as PRN medications.