Hi Andrew, Our two positions are not mutually exclusive. A GNU Health user can first use the RxNORM API to select their medicines (generic not branded) and export that into the GNU Health "default" database structure. The advantages of this approach is quickly populating the medication library of GNU Health "default" database structure with a dataset with strong ontology (which can serve as backbone).
Another advantage is the rigor of adding new drugs into GNU Health. Rather than relying on a coding system that is specific only to that facility (or one developer in that facility) the GNU Health implementations can rely on an internationally curated drug database that can now 'interoperate' (at least for drug codes) with other GNU Health systems. GNU Health is a powerful tool and platform for improving efficiency of information management. If anyone can share the default database structure for medicines in GNU Health, I can ask a student to demonstrate how an RxNORM database can fit in it... Thanks! Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone. Original Message From: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2014 19:46 To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Health-dev] Creating a local formulary / medicines product list for Tryton / GNU Health Thanks Alvin I am sure that RxNorm is an excellent medicines database/dataset but it is designed purely for the N. American market. I am still convinced that each new GNU Health clinic/hospital should build their own medicines dataset based on the GNU Health "default" database structure. This will also help with assigning a pregnancy warning category to each medicine product, which is a very useful decision support (= patient safety) feature of GNU Health. Regards Andrew
