Implementation guide for interoperable medicines

This guidance is under active development by NHS England and content may be added or updated on a regular basis.

Example 2: MedicationDispense

Note: Example validated against UKCore, dm+d and SNOMED-CT on 23 May 2025.

Actors

Provider System = Hospital pharmacy system

Consumer System = Ward EPMA system

Example

<Bundle xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
<id value="746f7585-4fa0-42d9-b8d8-14c71217e112" />
<type value="message" />
<timestamp value="2021-05-07T16:15:32+00:00" />
<entry>
<fullUrl value="urn:message-header-167434" />
<resource>
<MessageHeader>
<id value="urn:message-header-167434" />
<eventCoding>
<system value="http://hl7.org/fhir/message-events" />
<code value="dispense-notification" />
<display value="Dispense Notification" />
</eventCoding>
<source>
<name value="ACME Clinical Systems" />
<software value="ACME Pharmacy" />
<version value="4.1.15" />
<endpoint value="urn:nhs-uk:addressing:ods:T48NT" />
</source>
<focus>
<reference value="urn:med-disp-3949490" />
</focus>
</MessageHeader>
</resource>
</entry>
<entry>
<fullUrl value="urn:patient-4738562854" />
<resource>
<Patient>
<id value="urn:patient-4738562854" />
<identifier>
<system value="https://fhir.nhs.uk/Id/nhs-number" />
<value value="4738562854" />
</identifier>
<name>
<use value="official" />
<text value="Mr Toby Lerone" />
<family value="Lerone" />
<given value="Toby" />
<prefix value="Mr" />
</name>
<gender value="male" />
<birthDate value="1973-02-20" />
</Patient>
</resource>
</entry>
<entry>
<fullUrl value="urn:staff-0002" />
<resource>
<Practitioner>
<id value="urn:staff-0002" />
<name>
<text value="Dr Allo Kate" />
<family value="Kate" />
<given value="Allo" />
<prefix value="Dr" />
</name>
<qualification>
<code>
<coding>
<system value="https://fhir.hl7.org.uk/Id/gpc-number" />
<code value="123543" />
<display value="General Pharmaceutical Council" />
</coding>
</code>
</qualification>
</Practitioner>
</resource>
</entry>
<entry>
<fullUrl value="urn:medication-847211000001102" />
<resource>
<Medication>
<id value="urn:medication-847211000001102" />
<code>
<coding>
<system value="http://snomed.info/sct" />
<code value="847211000001102" />
<display value="Cipramil 20mg tablets (Lundbeck Ltd)" />
</coding>
</code>
</Medication>
</resource>
</entry>
<entry>
<fullUrl value="urn:med-disp-3949490" />
<resource>
<MedicationDispense>
<id value="urn:med-disp-3949490" />
<identifier>
<system value="urn:[organisation_name]:[system_name]" />
<value value="urn:d27292c7-1cbe-47c5-8c56-370b97c17d17" />
</identifier>
<status value="in-progress" />
<medicationReference>
<reference value="urn:medication-847211000001102" />
<display value="Cipramil 20mg tablets (Lundbeck Ltd)" />
</medicationReference>
<subject>
<reference value="urn:patient-4738562854" />
<display value="Mr Toby Lerone" />
</subject>
<performer>
<actor>
<reference value="urn:staff-0002" />
<display value="Dr Allo Kate" />
</actor>
</performer>
<authorizingPrescription>
<reference value="urn:med-req-12312312" />
</authorizingPrescription>
<quantity>
<value value="3" />
<unit value="tablet" />
<system value="http://snomed.info/sct" />
<code value="428673006" />
</quantity>
<daysSupply>
<value value="3" />
<unit value="Day" />
<system value="http://unitsofmeasure.org" />
<code value="d" />
</daysSupply>
<whenPrepared value="2021-05-07T16:15:32+00:00" />
<dosageInstruction>
<timing>
<repeat>
<frequency value="1" />
<period value="1" />
<periodUnit value="d" />
</repeat>
</timing>
<route>
<coding>
<system value="http://snomed.info/sct" />
<code value="26643006" />
<display value="Oral" />
</coding>
</route>
<doseAndRate>
<doseQuantity>
<value value="1" />
<unit value="tablet" />
<system value="http://snomed.info/sct" />
<code value="428641000" />
</doseQuantity>
</doseAndRate>
</dosageInstruction>
</MedicationDispense>
</resource>
</entry>
</Bundle>
{
"resourceType": "Bundle",
"id": "746f7585-4fa0-42d9-b8d8-14c71217e112",
"type": "message",
"timestamp": "2021-05-07T16:15:32+00:00",
"entry": [
{
"fullUrl": "urn:message-header-167434",
"resource": {
"resourceType": "MessageHeader",
"id": "urn:message-header-167434",
"eventCoding": {
"system": "http://hl7.org/fhir/message-events",
"code": "dispense-notification",
"display": "Dispense Notification"
},
"source": {
"name": "ACME Clinical Systems",
"software": "ACME Pharmacy",
"version": "4.1.15",
"endpoint": "urn:nhs-uk:addressing:ods:T48NT"
},
"focus": [
{
"reference": "urn:med-disp-3949490"
}
]
}
},
{
"fullUrl": "urn:patient-4738562854",
"resource": {
"resourceType": "Patient",
"id": "urn:patient-4738562854",
"identifier": [
{
"system": "https://fhir.nhs.uk/Id/nhs-number",
"value": "4738562854"
}
],
"name": [
{
"use": "official",
"text": "Mr Toby Lerone",
"family": "Lerone",
"given": [
"Toby"
],
"prefix": [
"Mr"
]
}
],
"gender": "male",
"birthDate": "1973-02-20"
}
},
{
"fullUrl": "urn:staff-0002",
"resource": {
"resourceType": "Practitioner",
"id": "urn:staff-0002",
"name": [
{
"text": "Dr Allo Kate",
"family": "Kate",
"given": [
"Allo"
],
"prefix": [
"Dr"
]
}
],
"qualification": [
{
"code": {
"coding": [
{
"system": "https://fhir.hl7.org.uk/Id/gpc-number",
"code": "123543",
"display": "General Pharmaceutical Council"
}
]
}
}
]
}
},
{
"fullUrl": "urn:medication-847211000001102",
"resource": {
"resourceType": "Medication",
"id": "urn:medication-847211000001102",
"code": {
"coding": [
{
"system": "http://snomed.info/sct",
"code": "847211000001102",
"display": "Cipramil 20mg tablets (Lundbeck Ltd)"
}
]
}
}
},
{
"fullUrl": "urn:med-disp-3949490",
"resource": {
"resourceType": "MedicationDispense",
"id": "urn:med-disp-3949490",
"identifier": [
{
"system": "urn:[organisation_name]:[system_name]",
"value": "urn:d27292c7-1cbe-47c5-8c56-370b97c17d17"
}
],
"status": "in-progress",
"medicationReference": {
"reference": "urn:medication-847211000001102",
"display": "Cipramil 20mg tablets (Lundbeck Ltd)"
},
"subject": {
"reference": "urn:patient-4738562854",
"display": "Mr Toby Lerone"
},
"performer": [
{
"actor": {
"reference": "urn:staff-0002",
"display": "Dr Allo Kate"
}
}
],
"authorizingPrescription": [
{
"reference": "urn:med-req-12312312"
}
],
"quantity": {
"value": 3,
"unit": "tablet",
"system": "http://snomed.info/sct",
"code": "428673006"
},
"daysSupply": {
"value": 3,
"unit": "Day",
"system": "http://unitsofmeasure.org",
"code": "d"
},
"whenPrepared": "2021-05-07T16:15:32+00:00",
"dosageInstruction": [
{
"timing": {
"repeat": {
"frequency": 1,
"period": 1,
"periodUnit": "d"
}
},
"route": {
"coding": [
{
"system": "http://snomed.info/sct",
"code": "26643006",
"display": "Oral"
}
]
},
"doseAndRate": [
{
"doseQuantity": {
"value": 1,
"unit": "tablet",
"system": "http://snomed.info/sct",
"code": "428641000"
}
}
]
}
]
}
}
]
}
Bundle.id[0]746f7585-4fa0-42d9-b8d8-14c71217e112
Bundle.type[0]message
Bundle.timestamp[0]2021-05-07T16:15:32+00:00
Bundle.entry[0].fullUrl[0]urn:message-header-167434
Bundle.entry[0].resource[0].id[0]urn:message-header-167434
Bundle.entry[0].resource[0].event[0].system[0]http://hl7.org/fhir/message-events
Bundle.entry[0].resource[0].event[0].code[0]dispense-notification
Bundle.entry[0].resource[0].event[0].display[0]Dispense Notification
Bundle.entry[0].resource[0].source[0].name[0]ACME Clinical Systems
Bundle.entry[0].resource[0].source[0].software[0]ACME Pharmacy
Bundle.entry[0].resource[0].source[0].version[0]4.1.15
Bundle.entry[0].resource[0].source[0].endpoint[0]urn:nhs-uk:addressing:ods:T48NT
Bundle.entry[0].resource[0].focus[0].reference[0]urn:med-disp-3949490
Bundle.entry[1].fullUrl[0]urn:patient-4738562854
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].id[0]urn:patient-4738562854
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].identifier[0].system[0]https://fhir.nhs.uk/Id/nhs-number
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].identifier[0].value[0]4738562854
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].name[0].use[0]official
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].name[0].text[0]Mr Toby Lerone
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].name[0].family[0]Lerone
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].name[0].given[0]Toby
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].name[0].prefix[0]Mr
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].gender[0]male
Bundle.entry[1].resource[0].birthDate[0]1973-02-20
Bundle.entry[2].fullUrl[0]urn:staff-0002
Bundle.entry[2].resource[0].id[0]urn:staff-0002
Bundle.entry[2].resource[0].name[0].text[0]Dr Allo Kate
Bundle.entry[2].resource[0].name[0].family[0]Kate
Bundle.entry[2].resource[0].name[0].given[0]Allo
Bundle.entry[2].resource[0].name[0].prefix[0]Dr
Bundle.entry[2].resource[0].qualification[0].code[0].coding[0].system[0]https://fhir.hl7.org.uk/Id/gpc-number
Bundle.entry[2].resource[0].qualification[0].code[0].coding[0].code[0]123543
Bundle.entry[2].resource[0].qualification[0].code[0].coding[0].display[0]General Pharmaceutical Council
Bundle.entry[3].fullUrl[0]urn:medication-847211000001102
Bundle.entry[3].resource[0].id[0]urn:medication-847211000001102
Bundle.entry[3].resource[0].code[0].coding[0].system[0]http://snomed.info/sct
Bundle.entry[3].resource[0].code[0].coding[0].code[0]847211000001102
Bundle.entry[3].resource[0].code[0].coding[0].display[0]Cipramil 20mg tablets (Lundbeck Ltd)
Bundle.entry[4].fullUrl[0]urn:med-disp-3949490
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].id[0]urn:med-disp-3949490
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].identifier[0].system[0]urn:[organisation_name]:[system_name]
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].identifier[0].value[0]urn:d27292c7-1cbe-47c5-8c56-370b97c17d17
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].status[0]in-progress
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].medication[0].reference[0]urn:medication-847211000001102
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].medication[0].display[0]Cipramil 20mg tablets (Lundbeck Ltd)
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].subject[0].reference[0]urn:patient-4738562854
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].subject[0].display[0]Mr Toby Lerone
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].performer[0].actor[0].reference[0]urn:staff-0002
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].performer[0].actor[0].display[0]Dr Allo Kate
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].authorizingPrescription[0].reference[0]urn:med-req-12312312
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].quantity[0].value[0]3
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].quantity[0].unit[0]tablet
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].quantity[0].system[0]http://snomed.info/sct
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].quantity[0].code[0]428673006
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].daysSupply[0].value[0]3
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].daysSupply[0].unit[0]Day
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].daysSupply[0].system[0]http://unitsofmeasure.org
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].daysSupply[0].code[0]d
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].whenPrepared[0]2021-05-07T16:15:32+00:00
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].timing[0].repeat[0].frequency[0]1
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].timing[0].repeat[0].period[0]1
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].timing[0].repeat[0].periodUnit[0]d
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].route[0].coding[0].system[0]http://snomed.info/sct
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].route[0].coding[0].code[0]26643006
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].route[0].coding[0].display[0]Oral
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].doseAndRate[0].dose[0].value[0]1
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].doseAndRate[0].dose[0].unit[0]tablet
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].doseAndRate[0].dose[0].system[0]http://snomed.info/sct
Bundle.entry[4].resource[0].dosageInstruction[0].doseAndRate[0].dose[0].code[0]428641000
Bundle
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