Drug Dictionary Utilities Overview

The Drug Dictionary Utilities enable you to create and manage formularies, which are a subset of prescribable items, created to help direct prescribers towards the most appropriate, evidence based and cost-effective items when prescribing. These can be selected from the current Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (DM+D).

You can create a practice-wide drug formulary in one of three ways:

• Vision 3 can compile a list of the most used drugs in your practice, you can then edit this list and use it as a basis for your formulary.
• Create a formulary from a blank list.
• Import an existing formulary, for example, from another practice or Integrated Care Board (ICB)/Health Board, this can then be modified if required.
  See Importing a Formulary for details.

Why Create a Drug Formulary?

A practice formulary enables you to create a practice-wide preferential list of prescribable items.

This also allows for quick and easy selection of the most prescribed drugs within Consultation Manager and can help to control generic prescribing. You still have the clinical freedom of selecting drugs outside of the formulary if required.

From Consultation Manager you are also able to add and remove items from the formulary on an ad-hoc basis.

What is Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (DM+D)?

The Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (DM+D) is a dictionary containing unique identifiers and associated textual descriptions for medicines and medical devices. It has been developed for use throughout the UK as a means of uniquely identifying the specific medicines or devices used in the diagnosis or treatment of patients. Benefits of using DM+D includes, providing clear, unambiguous information leading to reliable exchange of information on medicine and medical devices.