The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7232 p69
18 January 2003

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PPA: Primary care drug dictionary (PCDD) (more)

NHS drug dictionary for sharing records

A dictionary of drugs used in primary care, developed by the Prescription Pricing Authority, should allow greater sharing of electronic patient records in the future.

The National Health Service primary care drug dictionary (PCDD) currently contains unique identifiers for around 90 per cent of the most commonly prescribed medicines. It is to be updated weekly.

The unique identifiers will allow the transfer of information from one system of records to another. One of the principal uses of this will be in electronic transmission of prescriptions The PCDD also contains linked information, for example, that a product is a generic version of a particular brand, similar to that included in the Drug Tariff. The drug dictionary will be available to suppliers of pharmacy computer systems, which can add their own enhancements.

Details can be found on the PPA's website.