Version: 1.0.7 | Published: 1 Dec 2025 | Updated: 2 days ago

NHS dictionary of medicines and devices

Dataset

Summary

Type:
Information standards
Applies To:
  • Health and Care Organisations purchasing systems that support recording and communication of information about medicines
  • Health and Care Organisations using medicines information for reimbursement, pharmacovigilance, drug utilisation, supply chain
Impacts On:
Suppliers of IT systems that support recording and communication of information about medicines used in patient care including, but not limited to: e-prescribing, administration, dispensing, medication history, reimbursement. No changes are required to those electronic systems already using dm+d. No changes are made to the distribution of data files. Pharmaceutical companies: no changes need to be made by pharmaceutical companies supplying product details for use in dm+d. No changes to the submission process are introduced.
Conformance Date:
30 June 2017
Topics:
  • Clinical decision support
  • Data definitions and terminologies
  • Dispensing
  • Messaging
  • Pharmacy, Medicines and Prescribing
  • Reference data
  • Tests and diagnostics
Care Settings:
  • Community health
  • Hospital
  • Maternity
  • Mental health
  • Pharmacy
  • Urgent and Emergency Care
Alternate Name:
  • dm+d
  • NHS dictionary of medicines and devices

Documentation

Description:

This standard comprises:

  1. A model of the components required to represent a medicine used in patient care, along with additional components specific to the reimbursement process used in primary care.
  2. Content that is maintained and distributed according to approved policies and processes.
  3. A governance structure that supports requirements for an evolving but stable set of implementable terminology products.
  4. Identification of medicines within the supply chain by the inclusion of GS1 GTIN codes where known.

The scope of the standard in terms of content is for medicines only; medical devices are currently excluded. The primary purpose is to support interoperability. Therefore electronic systems that exchange or share information about medicines relating directly to a patient’s care must adhere to the standard by using dm+d identifiers and descriptions when transferring information.

Relations:
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