Andrew Charlwood
55 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
55 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
# Glossary For Medicines Analysts
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This is a practical glossary for analysts working with medicines data. It is not clinical guidance.
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## Medicine Coding
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`dm+d`: Dictionary of medicines and devices. The source of SNOMED product codes used for medicines.
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`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.
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`VTM`: Virtual Therapeutic Moiety. Broad ingredient-level grouping, useful when you want all products for a medicine substance.
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`VMP`: Virtual Medicinal Product. More specific product family, useful when strength or formulation matters.
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`AMP`: Actual Medicinal Product. Branded or supplier-specific product.
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`VMPP` / `AMPP`: Pack-level products.
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`BNFCode`: British National Formulary hierarchy code. Useful for broad prescribing sections such as antibiotics or antidepressants.
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## Activity Sources
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`Prescribing`: Records from GP clinical systems showing prescriptions/issues. More current, but not the same as dispensed supply.
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`Dispensing`: BSA/GPMeds data showing items dispensed and paid. Better for payment-style reporting, usually with a lag.
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`ProcessingPeriodDate`: The month attached to dispensing data.
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`DateMedicationStart`: The prescribing date used in the unified prescribing table.
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## People And Organisations
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`PersonKey`: Internal person identifier used for linked analysis. Prefer this for patient counts where available.
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`PatientPseudonym`: Pseudonymised patient identifier. Needed for some joins to clinical coding and dispensing.
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`CurrentGeneralPractice`: Practice code attached to the patient or prescribing row.
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`OrganisationCode` / `SiteCode`: Organisation and site identifiers. For practice-level reporting, use the parent practice row where `SiteCode = OrganisationCode` unless branch-level reporting is intended.
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`PCN`, `Place`, `Alliance`, `INT`: Organisation hierarchy fields used for grouping practice outputs.
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## Analysis Terms
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`Cohort`: A defined set of patients meeting criteria.
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`Denominator`: The population used to calculate a rate, for example registered patients at a practice.
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`Numerator`: The count meeting the measure, for example patients prescribed a medicine.
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`Quintile`: One of five ranked groups. Quintile 5 is often used for highest prescribing when ranking from low to high.
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`Long format`: Output where each indicator is a row rather than a separate column. This is useful for appending measures and charting.
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