Communication between IT systems boosted by dictionary
Communication between different IT systems in the health service will be supported by the introduction of the NHS Dictionary of Medicine and Devices (dm+d).
The dm+d, which has been prepared jointly by the NHS Information Authority
and Prescription Pricing Authority, provides a unique code for each drug
or device, along with a text description. This is integrated with SNOMED
(Systemised Nomenclature of Medicine) clinical terms, the standard clinical
terminology for health information IT systems.
The dm+d will become the NHS standard for medicines and device identification,
enabling communication between diverse clinical systems by ensuring safe
and reliable exchange of information on medicines and devices. The dm+d
will also be useful in providing effective clinical decision support.
Work is also under way to incorporate product identifiers used in the supply
chain, such as the barcode, into the system. This will allow better data
to be captured about the supply chain and drug distribution, and improve
logistics and distribution.
Paul Frosdick, principal pharmacist, NHS information authority, said “It
will remove the need for data to be re-keyed when it is moved to a different
computer system, eliminating that avenue for error.” The dm+d is
also expected to contribute to patient safety, through consistent descriptions
of products, and by supporting electronic prescribing.
The primary care drug dictionary, secondary care drug dictionary and medical
devices dictionary have been combined to produce the dm+d.
Further information is available from the website www.dmd.nhs.uk |
Hospital Pharmacist