[e-drug] Universal code for drugs (cont'd)

[Kirsten Myhr <myhr@online.no>]

E-drug: Universal code for drugs (cont'd)
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Mary,

I do not think there is any universal coding system. There is a
classification system though, The ATC (Anatomic Therapeutic
Classification system) which gives each generic substance a code.
See www.whocc.nmd.no.

You should search the E-drug archives for previous messages as we
have had discussions on this both earlier this year and about a year
or two ago. This system is very good for identifying any products
having the same generic substance and the same therapeutic class.

Unfortunately very few commercially available software systems
use the ATC, but it should be easy to add them locally. I think a
search of our archive using ATC as search string would give you
also the messages discussing software where ATC is mentioned.

There is however, one software package. I must add that I have not
tried it myself. I was manager of a medical stores in the times of
manual records! Here is what the company (Sustainable Solutions)
wrote to me: "We have matched the ATC against the EDL and that
file has been on our web site (http://www.msupply.org.nz) since
early 2000, and it has had hundreds of downloads, so someone is
finding it useful. We also have the ATC code list as a pdf file in 2
formats - organized alphabetically and organized by ATC code. You
are welcome to let anyone know about this if they are interested."

Kirsten

Kirsten Myhr
Head of Eastern Health Region Drug Information Centre

RELIS Ost
Ulleval University Hospital
0407 Oslo, Norway
Tel.: +47 23 01 64 11(o)  Fax: +47 23 01 64 10
+47 22 56 05 85 (h)   mobile: +47 416 38 747
e-mail: kirsten.myhr@relis.ulleval.no
www.relis.no

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