RxNorm

Day-to-Day Users
#1

rhoyt wrote on Monday, November 09, 2015:

We use OpenEMR to teach health informatics students at the University of West Florida. Today we successfully installed RxNorm and SNOMED (pop-up said successful install). However, when I selected a new patient and went to the summary page and selected Prescription no search for any common medication was successul. I thought once RxNorm was installed it would search that drug database. Am I missing a step? I just want my students to be able to search for a medication and then add it to the problem list (not send an eRx). Thanks.

1 Like
#2

tmccormi wrote on Monday, November 09, 2015:

Did you enable them in the Lists -> Code Types

#3

rhoyt wrote on Monday, November 09, 2015:

Under code types I see RxCUI but not RxNorm. I see ICD-9 and 10 and SNOMED

#4

yehster wrote on Monday, November 09, 2015:

RXCUI stands for RXNorm Concept Unique Identifiers

#5

rhoyt wrote on Monday, November 09, 2015:

RxCUI was there before I installed RxNorm and marking that active did not change the search ability for a new drug. See screen shot of code types (attached). Do I need to manually enter RxNorm as a new code type?

#6

bradymiller wrote on Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

Hi,

The “working” mechanism to bring in RXCUI codes is here(“Native Data Loads”):
http://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/Code_Types#RXCUI
(this is what you turn on when turn on RXCUI in Administration->Lists->Code Types)

The not yet working mechanism to bring in the full RXNORM database is here(“External Data Loads”):
http://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/Import_RxNorm_and_SNOMED_Tables
(this loader does a great job importing the RXNORM database into the openemr database, however the actual functionality of using the database has not yet been completed; this is a complicated project that is currently stalled: http://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/Active_Projects#Integrate_RXNorm )

Try the “Native Data Loads” method. This should work for you.

-brady
OpenEMR

#7

rhoyt wrote on Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

I was eventually able to upload RXNCONSO.RRF successfully but when I search for a drug or a drug code under Medications or Prescriptions no drugs come up. Not sure what I am missing. RxCUI is set on active, drug box is checked and no is set for external load.

While waiting for a response I went back and this time uploaded the entire RxNorm_full_11022015.zip file, but with the same results. I would appreciate any help…Bob

#8

fsgl wrote on Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

RxNorm/RxCUI, if successfully imported, will be used in the Fee Sheet for billing, not Issues-Medications nor Prescription module. See 1 & 3.

Presently a user can manually add medications to Lists/Medication Issue List. See 2.

The online search in Prescription has been defunct. In order to have meds in Prescription, the Dispensary module must be enabled & meds added manually.

For didactic purposes adding 10 meds should be sufficient. Manual addition probably will take as much time as figuring out which tables for .sql inserts.

#9

rhoyt wrote on Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

Thanks so much. Clearly, I had several misconceptions and didn’t see any mention of this in the User Manual…Bob

#10

fsgl wrote on Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

You’re welcome.

The Supplementary section is equally informative as the Users Guide.

#11

bradymiller wrote on Wednesday, November 11, 2015:

Hi,

Sounds like need better documentation for the “Native Data Loads” feature:
http://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/Code_Types#RXCUI

To explain why this “Native Data Loads” mechanism was built; it was built by Rod to fulfill MU2 requirements(rxcui codes were required for the Medications; they were not needed for the Prescriptions module since the NewCrop module is being used for RX for MU2).

Note that the rxcui codes are NOT used in the fee sheet(the “Hide” column in the code type lists gui means the items are not shown in the fee sheet). They are used to add medications for a patient at:
Medications->Add->Coding
(this then opens up a popup and a drug can be selected)

Note that the rxcui codes are not used in the prescription module(at least not yet).

-brady
OpenEMR

Difference between RxNorm Native and External Data Loads
#12

fsgl wrote on Wednesday, November 11, 2015:

Thanks for the clarification, Brady.

RxCUI will work in the classroom, but it would be impractical in clinical practice. By the time one types in the name of the drug & selects it; it would be faster to enter name of drug, dosage & frequency into Title. RxCUI codes will not supply frequency.

In the early version of Firefox with AutoComplete, it was even faster.

We don’t dispense meds in our office, therefore we don’t bill for them. If an insurer requires the explicit naming of drugs & HCPCS is insufficient; I would think that drug codes will need to come into service for the Fee Sheet in future.

Bob,

See attachments for using RxCUI in Medications-Issues.

Example in Weekly Demo.