The expression "gr." is an abbreviation, not a symbol, for "grain." This is especially why the correct symbol for the gram must be used. In metric education, if our young people were taught the principle of using a symbol, (as in currency, $ or €) instead of an abbreviation, for SI measurement units, future errors would be less likely.
Fortunately, in pharmacy we have the protection of common sense and plain old reality. Contrary to the concerns shared with me from my fellow metricationists many times over the years, pharmacists do not read a prescription written for, say, "sucralfate 1 gr." and then attempt to compound 65 mg capsules of the drug. We know that the prescriber meant "1 g," or 1 gram (common sense), which is how this drug product is available commercially anyway (plain old reality). So, in this instance, it is impossible for a patient to be underdosed or incovenienced. (Incidentally, sucralfate is a prescription-drug carbohydrate that forms a covering over ulcerated portions of the stomach lining to protect it from further damage from stomach acid. Its original brand name was Carafate.). Yes, we get that a lot in healthcare, and, in fact, the use of the correct symbol for the gram on written prescriptions is rare! In community pharmacy practice, I would usually see "gm" or "gr." instead. For the milligram, I would often see "mgm." Rest assured that all pharmacists see past these errors in symbolism. The correct dose and the products are well known to us. In the U.S. recently, the Joint Commission, which is the accrediting body for all U.S. healthcare organizations, published a list of "abbreviations" (yes, JC does not yet have the symbol concept yet) that must not be used in medical records. Contrary to proper SI usage, one of the expressions they banned was "µg," and in its place, substituted "mcg." JC's reason for this is that, when handwritten, "µg" could be mistaken for "mg." The real problem here is the lack of metric education. In mathematics, from a young age, we are taught to recognize the symbols π or ϴ,but in measurement, we do not take the same approach to teaching , not only in the U.S., but also in metric countries, as Han has shown. When it starts, U.S. metrication will give us an opportunity to teach Americans metric usage correctly. I only hope that we shall do so. Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association, Inc. www.metric.org 3609 Caldera Blvd. Apt. 122 Midland, Texas 79707-2872 US +1(432)528-7724 [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: Han Maenen To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: 10 May, 2009 06:31 Subject: [USMA:45048] symbol for gram I visited a site about the teaching of arithmetic in Dutch primary schools. There was a page about a teachting method for primary arithmetic, in which I found an error in the subject called: 'Measurement'. For thge unit gram the wrong symbol gr. was used. 7. Meten (Measurement) mm t/m km gr. – kg - liter omtrek en oppervlakte Hele Metriek stelsel: mm tot km, ml tot kl mg tot kg, oppervlakte, inhoud Het kunnen hanteren van het totale schema van het metriekstelsel.
