How dm+d supports the NHS
dm+d:
- supports seamless data exchange between disparate clinical systems
- helps enable improvements in processes such as the calculation of reimbursement and remuneration payments, and tasks related to medicines reconciliation and optimisation, which improves efficiency and in turn, improves cost effectiveness
- supports system interoperability by identifying information regarding which medicinal products and medical devices have been prescribed at any point in someone’s care, regardless of the system used to record it
- enables medicinal product and medical device information across the NHS to be efficiently and accurately listed in prescribing and dispensing systems, including stock management, and reported across healthcare organisations in the delivery of patient care
- reduces the need for manual transcription, increasing the accuracy of patient records
- underpins the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS), enabling accurate prescribing, dispensing and reimbursement
dm+d maintenance
Our Medicines Data team is responsible for updating and maintaining dm+d. This includes:
- product and price information received from manufacturers and suppliers
- Drug Tariff entries for medicinal products and medical devices
We provide extracted dm+d files once a week (typically on a Thursday) and publish the data on the following Monday.
If your submission is incorrect, contact us as soon as possible to rectify this.
Email us at pippa@nhsbsa.nhs.uk to submit and update your data, at least 10 working days before its effective date (launch date or date of change).
Read the Drug Tariff Part IX for information regarding medical devices and dm+d.
dm+d standard
dm+d standard (SCCI0052) is an interoperability standard which enables the transfer of medicines information between clinical IT systems. This allows information about patients’ medicines to be accurately and safely transferred electronically from one clinical system to another.
NHS trusts must implement NHS standards, including SCCI0052, in accordance with the NHS Standard Contract and the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
For further information about the standard, read SCCI0052 Dictionary of Medicines and Devices.
The scope of the content of the standard is currently for licenced medicines only.
dm+d implementation
dm+d description guidance
dm+d description guidance (Word: 247KB) explains how dm+d descriptions might be implemented by system suppliers and programmes. Individual programme requirements may provide more detailed information.
dm+d Implementation Guide: product-based
dm+d Implementation Guide: Product-based provides implementation guidance for inclusion of data into product-based prescribing and dispensing clinical systems. These systems are predominantly used in primary care, but are increasingly being implemented in secondary care settings where the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is being adopted.
dm+d Implementation Guide: dose-based
dm+d Implementation Guide: Dose-based gives basic guidance on how to implement dose-based prescribing so that it can be understood by both clinicians and developers. This document should be read with other technical documents (listed in the guide), that give guidance on how the relevant dm+d and SNOMED CT data sources should be implemented
You will need to refer to several files available in the UK Drug Bonus Files (only available from TRUD) and the latest SNOMED CT UK Drug Extension release’s ePrescribing reference set files to implement the guide’s approach. These can be downloaded from TRUD - read about how to get a TRUD account - or accessible direct from the NHS England Terminology Server.
Secondary care guidance on mapping to 'Specials' in dm+d v2.0 (Word: 218KB) explains how local and system supplier drug dictionary ‘Specials’ descriptions can be mapped to dm+d.
Health Education England's eLearning programme
If you work in secondary care, NHS Learning Hub has a series of eLearning programmes.
The eLearning sessions cover key areas related to the dm+d standards:
- what is dm+d
- why you should adopt the dm+d standard
- how to adopt the dm+d standard
Additional resources
For more information, visit the Delen website.