The National Library of Medicine has updated its RxNorm standard clinical drug vocabulary for electronic health records, according to a news release by NLM.
NLM made more accurate and complete connections between National Drug Codes and standard nonproprietary names of medications recommended for use in EHRs. NLM also included for the first time the complete set of NDCs from Thomson Reuters' Red Book, a drug database.
The connections between NDC product codes and RxNorm standard names and identifiers in the EHR may allow providers to use an NDC on a medicine bottle to speed standard data entry or trigger an alert written in the RxNorm standard that could prevent a medication error, according to the release.
Interoperability Group Standardizes Connections for EHRs, Health Information Exchanges
Health IT Standards Committee Chooses Vocabulary Standards for EHRs
NLM made more accurate and complete connections between National Drug Codes and standard nonproprietary names of medications recommended for use in EHRs. NLM also included for the first time the complete set of NDCs from Thomson Reuters' Red Book, a drug database.
The connections between NDC product codes and RxNorm standard names and identifiers in the EHR may allow providers to use an NDC on a medicine bottle to speed standard data entry or trigger an alert written in the RxNorm standard that could prevent a medication error, according to the release.
Related Articles on EHR Standards:
HIMSS Responds to Draft Guidance on Testing EHR UsabilityInteroperability Group Standardizes Connections for EHRs, Health Information Exchanges
Health IT Standards Committee Chooses Vocabulary Standards for EHRs