# Glossary For Medicines Analysts

This is a practical glossary for analysts working with medicines data. It is not clinical guidance.

## Medicine Coding

`dm+d`: Dictionary of medicines and devices. The source of SNOMED product codes used for medicines.

`SNOMEDCode`: A coded identifier. In medicines queries this is usually a dm+d product code. In clinical coding queries it is usually a clinical event code.

`VTM`: Virtual Therapeutic Moiety. Broad ingredient-level grouping, useful when you want all products for a medicine substance.

`VMP`: Virtual Medicinal Product. More specific product family, useful when strength or formulation matters.

`AMP`: Actual Medicinal Product. Branded or supplier-specific product.

`VMPP` / `AMPP`: Pack-level products.

`BNFCode`: British National Formulary hierarchy code. Useful for broad prescribing sections such as antibiotics or antidepressants.

## Activity Sources

`Prescribing`: Records from GP clinical systems showing prescriptions/issues. More current, but not the same as dispensed supply.

`Dispensing`: BSA/GPMeds data showing items dispensed and paid. Better for payment-style reporting, usually with a lag.

`ProcessingPeriodDate`: The month attached to dispensing data.

`DateMedicationStart`: The prescribing date used in the unified prescribing table.

## People And Organisations

`PersonKey`: Internal person identifier used for linked analysis. Prefer this for patient counts where available.

`PatientPseudonym`: Pseudonymised patient identifier. Needed for some joins to clinical coding and dispensing.

`CurrentGeneralPractice`: Practice code attached to the patient or prescribing row.

`OrganisationCode` / `SiteCode`: Organisation and site identifiers. For practice-level reporting, use the parent practice row where `SiteCode = OrganisationCode` unless branch-level reporting is intended.

`PCN`, `Place`, `Alliance`, `INT`: Organisation hierarchy fields used for grouping practice outputs.

## Analysis Terms

`Cohort`: A defined set of patients meeting criteria.

`Denominator`: The population used to calculate a rate, for example registered patients at a practice.

`Numerator`: The count meeting the measure, for example patients prescribed a medicine.

`Quintile`: One of five ranked groups. Quintile 5 is often used for highest prescribing when ranking from low to high.

`Long format`: Output where each indicator is a row rather than a separate column. This is useful for appending measures and charting.