- Physical Examination
- Surgical Examination
- Ophthalmology
- Clinical Skills
- Orthopedics
- Surgery Videos
- Laparoscopy
- Pediatrics
- Funny Videos
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Nursing Videos
- Plastic Surgery
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Histology and Histopathology
- Neurosurgery
- Dermatology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Urology
- Dentistry
- Oncology and Cancers
- Anatomy Videos
- Health and Fitness
- Radiology
- Anaesthesia
- Physical Therapy
- Pharmacology
- Interventional Radiology
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gynecology
- Emergency Medicine
- Psychiatry and Psychology
- Childbirth Videos
- General Medical Videos
- Nephrology
- Physiology
- Diet and Food Health
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Neurology
- Women Health
- Osteoporosis
- Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
- Hematology
- Rheumatology
- Toxicology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Vascular Disease
- Reproductive Health
- Burns and Wound Healing
- Kidney Zone Podcast
- Other
What Does ADR Mean in Medical Terms?
ADR stands for adverse drug reaction. Harmful or unwanted effect of a medicine.
adverse drug reaction
Harmful or unwanted effect of a medicine.
Where you will see ADR
You will most often see ADR in medical charts and clinical notes, medication orders and prescriptions.
Example
A medication order might be written with “ADR” as shorthand for adverse drug reaction.
Related abbreviations
- 3% saline — three percent saline (hypertonic)
- 5-FU — fluorouracil
- 6-MP — mercaptopurine
- 6-TG — thioguanine
- 7+3 — seven plus three induction
- A&O x4 — alert and oriented times four (person place time situation)
- a.c. — ante cibum (before meals)
- a.m. — ante meridiem (morning)
Browse the full Medical Abbreviations guide — 5,715 entries, searchable A–Z and by specialty.
Educational reference only. This guide is for learning and quick reference. Abbreviations vary between hospitals, countries and specialties, and some are discouraged because they can be misread. Always write and interpret orders using your own institution’s approved abbreviation list, and check anything unclear with the prescriber or your local policy.