E-DRUG: Coding Pharmaceutical Products (4)
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Hi Max,
A product code for a LMIS can either be a non-significant series of numbers
such as the NATO code (as used in South Africa) or a code designed in-house,
which has elements of therapeutic classification or national formulary
classification contained within the structure. The advantage of embedding
the therapeutic classification is that management information can be
extracted more easily in meaningful groupings e.g. total expenditure on
antibiotics or TB drugs.
We have experience of both methods of coding, having developed a
pharmaceutical MIS in South Africa based on the NATO codes and an in-house
coding system in Mozambique based on the FNM (national formulary). The NATO
code needed to be supplemented by the ATC classification in order to
meaningfully group items. There is no link between different strengths,
forms or packsizes of the same generic entity. You cannot extract
information on the use of paracetamol as different packsizes and formats all
have completely different, unrelated stock codes. This is not a problem
with a code incorporating a therapeutic class with a relationship between
packsizes, strengths and forms.
Time spent on planning and preparing a code structure, training personnel in
the agreed-to codification policy and accurately coding, checking and
re-checking all products will save immense time later. One of the essential
factors to be considered in deciding the code structure is the database and
application ability with respect to code length and alpha numeric
compatibility. There are internationally recognized ways of describing the
product, form, strength and packsize that should be considered. If you
follow the rules it will greatly simplify your life later as it is almost
impossible to change a code once transactional and accounting data has been
captured against it.
Best regards
Tony and Marita
Mushonga Logistics Consultants
Mobile Tony Odendaal +27 83 274 1519 (Moçambique +258 84 501 2270)
Mobile Marita van Rooyen +27 82 324 3847 (Moçambique +258 84 501 2290)
Landline +27 12 653 6398
Fax +27 86 640 0 640
partners@mushonga.co.za
mariet@mushonga.co.za
tony@mushonga.co.za
www.mushonga.co.za <http://www.mushonga.co.za/>