Pharmacy

TPA medical abbreviation

TPA means "tissue plasminogen activator".

On the ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations. ISMP suggests: Write the full drug name.

Each meaning matched at least two public references (4 in all for TPA), checked October 23, 2026. The table lists them.

Run it in Rivvi

Ask what TPA means in your note

Paste a sig line, a note, or a claim and Rivvi spells out each abbreviation and flags the ones on the Do Not Use list.

Ask Rivvi

Free to start. No card. Opens Rivvi, the AI workspace for healthcare teams.

What TPA means

Example

Training example of an error-prone entry: "tPA" on an order.

A made-up line that shows the abbreviation in place. It is not about any patient and is not an instruction.

Related abbreviations

  • TXAtranexamic acid
  • CVAcerebrovascular accident
  • IVintravenous
  • MImyocardial infarction
  • APAPacetaminophen
  • ASAaspirin

Elsewhere on Rivvi

Questions

What does TPA mean in medical terms?

TPA means "tissue plasminogen activator".

Where is TPA used?

TPA shows up in prescriptions and pharmacy. Its category here is pharmacy.

Is TPA on the Joint Commission Do Not Use list?

No, but ISMP lists TPA as an error-prone abbreviation. ISMP's suggested practice: Write the full drug name.

Source: NCI Thesaurus, including CDISC SDTM terminology (NCI EVS); NLM SPECIALIST Lexicon abbreviations file (LRABR); CMS Acronyms; ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations (2024). Data as of October 23, 2026. Last updated October 23, 2026. How we source data. Spotted an error? Send a correction.

Back to all medical abbreviations

Try it on your own data today.

Free to start. Most teams are using it the same day.