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.

Profile: MedicationRequest

Additional guidance based on the UKCore MedicationRequest resource, for which the tree view of the profiled resource is shown below.

idΣ0..1id
metaΣ0..1Meta
implicitRulesΣ ?!0..1uri
language0..1codeBinding
text0..1Narrative
contained0..*Resource
medicationRepeatInformationC0..1Extension(Complex)
modifierExtension?! C0..*Extension
identifierS0..*Identifier
statusS Σ ?!1..1codeBinding
statusReason0..1CodeableConcept
intentS Σ ?!1..1codeBinding
categoryS0..*CodeableConceptBinding
priorityΣ0..1codeBinding
doNotPerformΣ ?!0..1boolean
reportedBooleanboolean
reportedReferenceReference(Organization | Patient | Practitioner | PractitionerRole | RelatedPerson)
medicationCodeableConceptCodeableConcept
medicationReferenceReference(Medication)
subjectS Σ C1..1Reference(Group | Patient)
encounterC0..1Reference(Encounter)
supportingInformationC0..*Reference(Resource)
authoredOnS Σ0..1dateTime
requesterS Σ C0..1Reference(Device | Organization | Patient | Practitioner | PractitionerRole | RelatedPerson)
performerC0..1Reference(CareTeam | Device | Organization | Patient | Practitioner | PractitionerRole | RelatedPerson)
performerTypeΣ0..1CodeableConcept
recorderC0..1Reference(Practitioner | PractitionerRole)
reasonCode0..*CodeableConcept
reasonReferenceC0..*Reference(Condition | Observation)
instantiatesCanonicalΣ0..*canonical
instantiatesUriΣ0..*uri
basedOnΣ C0..*Reference(CarePlan | ImmunizationRecommendation | MedicationRequest | ServiceRequest)
groupIdentifierΣ0..1Identifier
courseOfTherapyType0..1CodeableConceptBinding
insuranceC0..*Reference(ClaimResponse | Coverage)
note0..*Annotation
id0..1string
extensionC0..*Extension
modifierExtensionΣ ?! C0..*Extension
sequenceΣ0..1integer
textS Σ0..1string
additionalInstructionΣ0..*CodeableConcept
patientInstructionΣ0..1string
timingS Σ0..1Timing
asNeededBooleanboolean
asNeededCodeableConceptCodeableConcept
siteΣ0..1CodeableConceptBinding
routeΣ0..1CodeableConceptBinding
methodΣ0..1CodeableConceptBinding
id0..1string
extensionC0..*Extension
typeΣ0..1CodeableConcept
doseQuantitySimpleQuantity
doseRangeRange
rateQuantitySimpleQuantity
rateRangeRange
rateRatioRatio
maxDosePerPeriodΣ C0..1Ratio
maxDosePerAdministrationΣ C0..1SimpleQuantity
maxDosePerLifetimeΣ C0..1SimpleQuantity
id0..1string
extensionC0..*Extension
modifierExtensionΣ ?! C0..*Extension
id0..1string
extensionC0..*Extension
modifierExtensionΣ ?! C0..*Extension
quantityC0..1SimpleQuantity
durationC0..1Duration
dispenseIntervalC0..1Duration
validityPeriodC0..1Period
numberOfRepeatsAllowed0..1unsignedInt
quantityS C0..1SimpleQuantity
expectedSupplyDurationC0..1Duration
performerC0..1Reference(Organization)
id0..1string
extensionC0..*Extension
modifierExtensionΣ ?! C0..*Extension
allowedBooleanboolean
allowedCodeableConceptCodeableConcept
reason0..1CodeableConcept
priorPrescriptionC0..1Reference(MedicationRequest)
detectedIssueC0..*Reference(DetectedIssue)
eventHistoryC0..*Reference(Provenance)

Additional Guidance

Guidance in consultation with the Digital Medicines Community of Interest

Note1: Where the cardinality in the table below states "required" this relates to the element being part of the UKCore Minimum Viable Content.

Note2: Where "dispensing system" is referenced below this would be a pharmacy dispensing system for the use case of sending an order to pharmacy. This would be an Automated Dispensing Cabinet (ADC) when sending a plan or order to an ADC.

Note3: ADCs typically do not like to work with dm+d VTMs due to variable drug formulations but it is not impossible. Where a VTM is used a typical ADC may display ALL the available products applicable for the VTM. It is therefore recommended to include a route within the dosageInstruction to help the ward clinician select an appropriate product. Product selection will be a manual process using the ADC console screen.

Element Cardinality Guidance
extension: medicationRepeatInformation Optional To support repeat prescribing processes used in Primary Care.
status Mandatory Use active to instruct the dispensing system to action the medication plan or order.
Use cancelled to instruct the dispensing system to cancel the medication plan or order.
Use stopped to instruct the dispensing system to stop the medication plan or order.
Use on-hold as per stopped but expected to continue later (restart with active).
intent Mandatory Use order to denote this is an order for medication to be dispensed.
Use plan to configure a patient's medication plan as a schedule within an ADC.
category Required Use inpatient for dispensing as part of a ward round.
Use discharge or leave for medication to be prepared and labelled for the patient to take away, often as complete packs, opposed to dispensing a unit dose.
priority Optional Use stat to identify a STAT dose.
medication[x] Mandatory The dm+d concept for the medication required by the patient. For Trusts that have implemented prodct-based orders this will be a VMP or AMP concept. For Trusts that have implemented dose-based orders this will be a VTM. If additional qualifiers like form are required then a referenced Medication resource will be required.
subject Mandatory Reference to a Patient resource. Likely that two identifiers will be used; the NHS number (when known) and the local MRN (hospital number).
authoredOn Required To timestamp the event.
encounter Required Reference to an Encounter resource, which may include a local encounter identifier.
Note: An ADC will typically require this element as they operate using a combination of the patient and encounter identifiers to support transfer of care workflows e.g. if the patient is transferred from emergency department to an inpatient ward.
requester Required The clinician via a reference to either a Practitioner or PractitionerRole resource.
Note: Some ADCs have user-based interfaces. For example if nurse A is the requester, then nurse A is expected to be the dispenser (unless dispenseRequest.performer states otherwise).
performer Optional A reference to a Practitioner resource.
Note: Required by the Omnicell ADC when the intent is order.
basedOn Optional When the intent is plan this could reference a CarePlan.
When the intent is order this could reference the MedicationRequest of intent plan.
dosageInstruction Required Structured dosage instruction for the medication order.
Note: Complex dosages (titrations) can be split into separate dosages to send to an ADC. A typical ADC will support dose ranges with the clinician asked to select the dose from within the given range.
dispenseRequest.quantity Optional To instruct the dispensing system that a specific quantity of medication should be dispensed. Some Trusts will have standard operating procedures that may dictate supply quantities. May only be applicable where an EPMA knows about pack sizes to instruct a whole pack to be dispensed by the dispensing system, e.g. "28 tablets". Dispensing systems will typically allow flexibility to dispense the required quantity, e.g. 1 x 28 tablet pack or 2 x 14 tablet packs, etc. Where an EPMA does not know about pack sizes this can be omitted as the dispensing system user interface will typically allow either a unit dose or whole pack to be dispensed.
dispenseRequest.validityPeriod Optional To instruct the dispensing system with a schedule for the medication either as a period of time, e.g for 7 days, or a date/time period, e.g. from X to Y. Can also be used to define a period when a medication is put on-hold.
substitution Mandatory Should always be set to false unless local prescribing guidelines permit substitution.
priorPrescription Optional To reference a previous MedicationRequest. This may be useful when the status is changing, e.g. moving an active medication to an on-hold medication.

Examples

Examples to be added...


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