| Datasheet

Interoperability Module™

Enabling Medication Management Interoperability Between

FDB MedKnowledge® Content and Federal Medication Terminologies
The Interoperability Module provides cross references between FDB MedKnowledge vocabulary
concepts and Federal Medication Terminologies including the National Library of Medicine® (NLM®)
RxNorm vocabulary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immunization code sets and
SNOMED CT® value sets for problems.
Interoperable drug knowledge is of vital importance to effective EHR use as it supports the portability
of patient medication, immunization, and allergy history among disparate healthcare information systems.
Use of interoperable drug knowledge enables clinical information exchange, electronic prescribing, the
calculation of clinical quality measures, immunization and medication allergen decision support, and
streamlines clinical information reconciliation.

Enabling Medication Management Interoperability
The Interoperability Module provides important cross-
references between FDB MedKnowledge concepts and
interoperable vocabularies. Medication management
interoperability encompasses:
• FDB MedKnowledge concepts are used as “interface”
terminology within an electronic health record and stored
in the context of a patient’s medication, medication
allergy and immunizations list. Interface terminologies
are optimized for display and selection by healthcare
professionals to satisfy specific use cases (e.g., order
entry, prescribing, allergy documentation, dispensing).
• “Interoperable” vocabularies are specified for use within
electronic messaging and document exchange standards.
• The Interoperability Module provides bidirectional cross
references between FDB MedKnowledge “interface”
terminologies to “interoperable” vocabularies.

Example: Medication Management Interoperability Principles for a Patient’s Medication List

View, reconcile,
Translate
Translate Exchange and file Provider 1
Provider 1 Med List Provider 1 Med List
Provider 1 Med List Med List into
“Lipitor 20 mg Summary of Care to Provider 2
to Interoperable Provider 2 Med List
Tablet” FDB Document Vocabulary
Vocabulary = Add new med
MedID = 209964 (Med = RxNorm RxNorm 617318 =
RxNorm 617318 “Lipitor 20 mg
617318) FDB MedID
Tablet” if not
209964
previously listed
Interoperability Module™

Saving Time, Costs, and Resources Provides Offering a Full Range of

Confidence in Healthcare Information Exchange Interoperable Cross References
In conjunction with FDB MedKnowledge, the major Interoperable medication management requires
advantages of the module include: cross references from a wide variety of “source” FDB
• Enables the decision support and analytic use of FDB MedKnowledge vocabulary concepts to interoperable
MedKnowledge in a manner that is difficult to mimic using vocabulary concepts. The breadth of cross references
open source vocabularies. required varies by the types of interoperable exchanges
needed. To provide maximum flexibility, FDB provides
• Built from the ground up for end-user selection within both Core and Enhanced module packages.
HIT user interfaces (unlike independently-maintained and
narrower context-of-use Federal Medication Terminologies). Core Package
The core package provides links from selected FDB vocabulary
• Easier to build and execute decision support and analytic
concepts to the NLM RxNorm medication vocabulary and CDC
rules in a manner that leverages terminology spanning
immunization codes.
all sources.
Enhanced Package
• Extends cross references to a broader range of NDC
values and additional FDB concept types (e.g., MedID, The enhanced package provides “core” cross references as
Med Name ID, Specific Allergen Groups) compared to the well as “reverse” cross references from RxNorm that may be
implementation of RxNorm directly from the NLM. used in advanced medication reconciliation applications. Also
provided is content optimized to support interoperable allergy
• Allows navigation to brand-level drug concepts not directly
documentation and exchange. Cross references from FDB
available from the NLM today, while expanding the number
Disease Identifiers (DxID) to SNOMED CT will ultimately support
of cross references between the two data sets.
medication decision support applications that require the use
Meeting Current and Future Regulatory Requirements of SNOMED CT as input criteria in the context of a patient
The Interoperability Module will enable users to meet “problem list.”
regulatory requirements with confidence.
• Satisfies the requirement of translating FDB allergen
concepts likely to be stored within an EHR to interoperable
terminologies historically named by the NCVHS, HHS, and
ONC subcommittees to represent medication allergens.
• Facilitates adherence to current CMS Part D sponsor
regulatory requirements by enabling users to include the
NLM RxNorm code as part of Medicare Part D formulary
submissions to CMS.
• Supports Meaningful Use requirements of RxNorm in
calculating adherence to named clinical quality measures
and compiling Quality Data Model (QDM) extracts.
• Supports CVX code transmission requirements of patient
immunization histories to various registries.

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Interoperability Module™

Offering a Full Range of Interoperable Cross References | Continued

FDB Medications External Vocabularies

• NDC FDB Source to • RxNorm Medication
External Mappings (Core)
• MedID Vocabulary
• Med Name ID • CDC, CVX, and MVX
• GCN_SEQNO External Source to Immunizations
• Routed Generic ID FDB Mappings (Enhanced)
• Ingredient

FDB Allergens External Vocabularies

• Specific Allergen Group FDB Source to • RxNorm Medication
External Mappings (Enhanced) Vocabulary
• Med Name ID
• Ingredient • VA NDF-RT Medication
Class Vocabulary
External Source to
FDB Mappings (Enhanced) • FDA UNII Substances

FDB MedKnowledge® External Vocabularies

• Disease Identifiers FDB Source DxID to SNOMED CT • SNOMED CT Allergy
Clinical Findings (Enhanced) Value Sets
• SNOMED CT Clinical
Findings
SNOMED CT “Source” Clinical
Findings to FDB Disease Identifiers

FDB MedKnowledge & External Vocabularies

FDB OrderKnowledge® • NCPDP Structured &
• Units of Measure Codified Sig Specified
FDB Source Dictionary Values
• Clinical Route of to HL7 and NCPDP Vocabularies • HL7 C-CDA and FHIR
Administration
• Frequency-Interval
• PRN Reasons

Supporting Numerous Medication Decision Support Uses

Multiple functions are supported in both the Core and Enhanced packages. These include:

Function Core Package Enhanced Package

Medications
Electronic Prescribing
Yes Yes
Medication Links to RxNorm
Clinical Information Exchange
Yes Yes
Medication Links to RxNorm
Clinical Quality Measures
Yes Yes
Medication Links to RxNorm for Value Set Comparisons
Drug Formulary Compilation to RxNorm
Yes Yes
Medication Links to RxNorm
Structured Order or Sig Expression to Standards
No Yes
Dose dictionary links to HL7 and NCPDP

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Interoperability Module™

Supporting Numerous Medication Decision Support Uses | Chart Continued

Function Core Package Enhanced Package

Immunizations
Medication Links to CDC CVX Codes for Immunization Registry Reporting Yes Yes
Medication Links to CDC MVX Codes for Immunization Documentation Yes Yes

Allergy
Send RxNorm RXCUI for Medication Allergen No Yes
Interoperable Allergy Documentation­—SNOMED CT Reaction, Severity,
No Yes
Type, Foods, and Environmental Agent Value Sets

Clinical Information Reconciliation

External Medication Allergen Code Reverse Cross References to FDB No Yes
RxNorm Reverse Cross References to FDB No Yes
RxNorm Clinical Screening Links to FDB No Yes

Snomed CT
SNOMED CT NLM File Redistribution No Yes
FDB Disease ID (DxID) Cross References to SNOMED CT No Yes

Clinical Quality Measure Reporting

NLM Current Reporting Year CQM Value Set Redistribution No Yes
NLM Historical Reporting Years CQM Value Set Redistribution No Yes

Resource Efficiencies and external resources (e.g., NLM, CDC), and download and
Clinical Expertise Provide Peace of Mind parse vocabulary files to make them usable.
Users of the Interoperability Module will enjoy these benefits: Peace of Mind
Resource Efficiencies Reputable and experienced FDB clinicians provide leadership
A single source for a variety of standard medication to the healthcare informatics community, have worked closely
vocabulary concepts alleviates the cost, time and resource with publishers of Federal Medication Terminologies, and
burden to research, monitor and gather information from truly understand the creation and management of complex
vocabulary cross references.

For more information, contact Sales today at 800.633.3453. Or, visit fdbhealth.com
First Databank, Inc., 701 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 600, South San Francisco, CA 94080 800.633.3453 650.588.5454 Fax 650.246.2829
Other Locations: Indianapolis, Indiana • Exeter, England • Dubai, UAE

© First Databank, Inc. Part of the Hearst Health network. All trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective holders. Interoperability_DS (9/30/19) PDF