For years, Multum Lexicon was the source for researchers to get drug reference and
drug interaction data. But where can researchers now get medication lists, pharmaceutical monographs, drug-drug interactions, drug-allery interactions, and more?
Today, there is an enhanced and updated product built on the foundation of Multum Lexicon. It's Lexicomp's Lexi-Data transactional database. Lexi-Data provides drug names (brand name, generic name, and common abbreviations), therapeutic categories, drug classifications, indications, and standard coding such as NDC, J-Codes, and ICD-9. The data in Lexi-Data has been utilized by many universities and research institutions, including research on pharmaceutical policy and outcomes, aging, and more.
Multum is a registered trademark of Cerner Corp.
There are many universities and institutions that now require access to an up-to-date standardized drug database which would be used for analytics, claims review / auditing, or research purposes. Many of these universities and/or institutions now have a Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy department or Institute on Aging department that are focused on various aspects of research.
One product that has long served the needs of these researchers and univerisities is Multum's Lexicon. Another is Lexi-Data Basic.
Lexi-Data Basic provides drug information that includes drug names (brand name, generic name, and common abbreviations), therapeutic categories, drug classifications, indications, and standard coding such as NDC, J-Cods, and ICD-9. The Lexi-Data Basic product is powered by the widely known and trusted Multum Lexicon product which has been utilized by hundreds of universities and institutions in the past. Multum is a registered trademark of Cerner Corp.
For more information on Lexi-Data Basic, click the links to fill out the form on this page.
I visited a tag sale this weekend and saw a lamp that intrigued me. Though it was an expensive brand, it was neither a beautiful lamp nor a particulalry useful lamp based on its shape. I couldn't stop thinking about this lamp but, in the end, I decided that it was more expensive than I was willing to pay and I'd come back on the next day to see if it was still there, knowing that tag sales typically mark down their items on the last day.
I visited the sale again on Sunday and imagine my surprise when I saw that the lamp had been marked up and was more expensive than when I had initially seen it! The sales staff were honest with me and told me that there had been so much interest in the lamp and so many people who said they were going to come back on Sunday, that they decided they'd raise the price.
As I said, this was neither an aesthetically pleasing lamp, nor was it particulalry useful, based on its awkward size and shape. Yet here they were, charging a premium for something that, from a utlititarian standpoint, did not warrant it; simply because they could.
Is your drug information provider charging a premium for sub-par (or at best, adequate) information? Does what you're getting really warrant what you're paying? Just because you're paying a premium for drug information for your EHR doesn't mean you're getting all that you need.
Lexicomp is not only a reasonably priced drug information provider, but can help by providing a medication list that includes both generic, brand name, and over-the-counter drugs. By providing drug interaction screening including drug-drug/drug-food/drug-herbal, dose range checking, and duplicate therapy screening, Lexicomp can help you as an EHR vendor, ensure your clients meet a number of Meaningful Use requirements.
Additionally, the Lexi-Data product is mapped to RXNORM and contains patient education information in up to 19 languages, which is another check box on the Meaningful Use requirements list.
So if you're looking for a drug information provider that can supply premium level content for a reasonable price,
check out Lexicomp. You won't be disappointed!
Several weeks ago I pointed out that an EMR or EHR vendor (or inside hospital HIS development team) overlooks some critical factors in making choices about drug data suppliers. No doubt the quality of the drug data is important, but that is just the beginning. These developers should be equally, if not even more, concerned about what I would call "softer" factors. such as:
1) Structure of the data (how easy is it to map to and identify?)
2) Availability and simplicity of the APIs offered by the vendor
3) How responsive is the drug information provider during the development period (this
will provide a major clue into how the long term relationship will work).
These might sound like simple things, but in the end, they are the most important things. Do your due diligence. Several years ago there were only a couple of drug data suppliers available. Now with the addition of the very well established drug information provider, Lexicomp, these development companies have a choice. Lexicomp has provided clinical decision support for three decades. It provides drug reference solutions to nearly 1500 hospitals in the United States, along with all divisions of the U.S. Military. The
Vancouver study released last year, rated Lexicomp Online as the most preferred drug database.
If you are looking for drug information or medicine data, Lexicomp can help by providing a medication list that includes both generic, brand name, and over-the-counter drugs. By providing drug interaction screening including drug-drug, dose range checking, and duplicate therapy screening, Lexicomp can help EHR vendors meet a number of Meaningful Use requirements. The Lexi-Data product delivered by Lexicomp is also mapped to RXNORM and contains patient education which is another check box on the Meaningful Use requirements list.
Here are some of the qualifications that drug reference and drug interaction data must meet to qualify:
-- Must allow for specific clinical decision support functions, including drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checking
-- Must have consumer-facing patient education materials
-- Must be compliant with the RxNorm (a medication list maintained by the National Library of Medicine)
-- Must include comprehensive reference information for the US including drug generic name, drug brand name, drug classifications, and eventually clinical dosage guidelines for calculating pediatric and adult doses
When looking for drug information that meets all these requirement, pick one that will partner with you to meet your needs, whether they be speed to market, budgetary, or customer service.
This is what one of Lexicomp's satisfied customers has to say:
"We spent months researching and investigating the competition. Lexi-Comp business partnering and licensing division gave us the tools we needed to test it in our application to assure our clinicians that we had a reliable and trustworthy source. Their responsiveness to inquiries and requests sold us on a solid partnership we could count on."
- Coletta Dorado, CEO of IntuitivEMR
For too long, there were few choices of drug information providers for EMR, EHR and HIS vendors. It's not only a question of the quality of the drug and medicine information provided, but even more so it is an issue of the:
1) Structure of the data (how easy is it to map to and identify?)
2) Availability and simplicity of the APIs offered by the vendor
3) How responsive is the drug information provider during the development period (this
will provide a major clue into how the long term relationship will work).
These might sound like simple things, but in the end, they are the most important things. Do your due diligence. Check around.
Lexicomp provides drug reference solutions to more than 1500 hospitals in the United States, along with all divisions of the U.S. Military. The Vancouver study released last year, rated Lexicomp Online as the most preferred drug database.
If you are looking for drug information or medicine data, Lexicomp can help by providing a medication list that includes both generic, brand name, and over-the-counter drugs. By providing drug interaction screening including drug-drug, dose range checking, and duplicate therapy screening, Lexicomp can help EHR vendors meet a number of Meaningful Use requirements. The Lexi-Data product delivered by Lexicomp is also mapped to RXNORM and contains patient education which is another check box on the Meaningful Use requirements list.
According to a recent
report from KLAS, "35% of all respondents are replacing their EHR systems and 43% of physician practices with more than 100 doctors are doing so." What does that mean for EHR or EMR vendors? More sales, but only if you are ready. What is keeping you from these customers? If its drug data, then consider partnering with a trusted leader in drug databases for clinical decision support systems.
Consider Lexicomp
Lexicomp can help by providing a medication list that includes both generic, brand name, and over-the-counter drugs. By providing drug interaction screening including drug-drug, dose range checking, and duplicate therapy screening, Lexicomp can help EHR vendors meet a number of Meaningful Use requirements. The Lexi-Data product delivered by Lexicomp is also mapped to RXNORM and contains patient education which is another check box on the Meaningful Use requirements list.
The HITECH Act (commonly known as "Meaningful Use") has some specific requirements for drug reference and drug interaction data which can be used to qualify for incentive money. There aren't many vendors that can provide such specific information, so it's important to shop around to every available seller. Lexicomp and Multum are two vendors that offer qualifying data.
Here are some of the qualifications that drug reference and drug interaction data must meet:
-- Must allow for specific clinical decision support functions, including drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checking
-- Must have consumer-facing patient education materials
-- Must be compliant with the RxNorm (a medication list maintained by the National Library of Medicine)
-- Must include comprehensive reference information for the US including drug generic name, drug brand name, drug classifications, and eventually clinical dosage guidelines for calculating pediatric and adult doses
Both Lexicomp and Multum meet all of these criteria and more. Shopping around to different vendors may give you options that better fit your budget, development environment, support needs, or timeline. But always be sure to ask vendors if their information has been used yet by any EMR, EHR, or HIS vendors who have certified for Meaningful Use under the HITECH Act.
I call attention to my colleague's posting (Mark Dachille) several weeks ago, just prior to HIMSS, when he said.
"Lexicomp can help by providing a medication list that includes both generic, brand name, and over-the-counter drugs. By providing drug interaction screening including drug-drug, drug-allergy, drug-condition, dose range checking, and duplicate therapy screening, Lexicomp can help EHR vendors meet a number of Meaningful use requirements. The Lexi-Data product delivered by Lexicomp is also mapped to RXNORM and contains patient education which is another check box on the Meaningful Use requirements list.
Although there are a number of vendors providing drug nomenclatures, not many can provide all of these features, and could lead to issues down the road with achieving Meaningful Use certification"
Based on this posting, there were many people who visited the Lexicomp looking for solutions to their drug data needs.
According to iHealthBeat, "a coalition of 25 interested consumer groups said that ONC should resist pressure from health care providers to scale back requirements (
Health Data Management, 2/28).
The consumer groups and unions expressed support for several issues, including:
- Transitioning all "optional" criteria in Stage 1 to "required" criteria in Stage 2;
- Advancing key criteria that have an impact on quality and safety, such as electronic prescribing and medication reconciliation;
- Improving collection of advance directives (CMIO, 2/28); and
- Providing patients with online access to their health data, as well as secure messaging capabilities."
It is unclear how much will be required if government dollars dry up. But regardless, medical institutions and vendors need to keep pushing forward. It will be too difficult to turn the spigot on and off. This theme kept coming through at HIMSS.
Specifically in the areas of EHRs, EMRs, HIS', ePrescribing and more, they need to keep moving forward in their efforts to include drug-drug interaction, drug-allergy interaction, therapeutic dosages, medicine interactions, dosage administration, dosage precautions, medication brand names and generic names, pediatric dosage calculations, and eprescribing. Regardless of what the specific requirements will look like 12 months from now, there is no doubt that these changes will improve patient outcomes. Whether you go to Lexicomp or to Multum, find a vendor that will be your solution partner to help you through minefields. APIs are rarely just plug and play. Having the right partner will make a big difference.
As more questions arise around Meaningful Use and its future, there is increasing skepticism from hospitals as to whether or not funding will be there after they make the huge time investment to wander down this road. One of the areas that many hospitals are embarking on is providing information to their patients via their hospital website.
Many hospitals are creating detailed hospital websites as a value add to their patients. Some hospitals are utilizing existing interfaces or "out of the box" solutions and some are building these on their own. Through these sites patients can access their records and most recent visits (Stage 2 Meaningful Use criteria if we ever get there), run drug interaction checks on their current list of medications, and access patient education materials on medications they may be taking or conditions they may have been diagnosed with. As patients become more involved with their healthcare decisions hospitals need to provide them with the information they need most. Drug information, drug interaction analysis, medication leaflets in their native language, and possibly education on drug brand name and drug generic name.
Lexicomp not only provides the drug information needed by clinicians when treating patients but also provides patient focused drug information that is written for the patient. Hospitals can provide this information through their site. Medication leaflets in up to 19 languages, patient level drug interaction analysis, lists of medications by brand and generic, and possibly information on natural products. All this information can provide patients that extra needed value from your hospital to make them feel better about their experience and Lexicomp can provide the consumer information needed to build that site.
With HIMSS 11 rapidly approaching, a number of vendors will be arriving in Orlando. With the number of booths at this years event, it will be hard to see everything there is to offer during the three days the exhibit hall is open. To cut down on time spent reviewing vendors, look for specific product features that will address specific Meaningful Use criteria.
Lexicomp can help by providing a medication list that includes both generic, brand name, and over-the-counter drugs. By providing drug interaction screening including drug-drug, drug-allergy, drug-condition, dose range checking, and duplicate therapy screening, Lexicomp can help EHR vendors meet a number of Meaningful use requirements. The Lexi-Data product delivered by Lexicomp is also mapped to RXNORM and contains patient education which is another check box on the Meaningful Use requirements list.
Although there are a number of vendors providing drug nomenclatures, not many can provide all of these features, and could lead to issues down the road with achieving Meaningful Use certification. Use your time wisely while at HIMSS and visit Lexicomp at booth #6653.
The medication generic name is only one way to specify a therapeutic dosage. If a compound is available in multiple dosage forms a particular generic name may have a number of specific dosage ranges. For example, an extended release product which is dosed once daily may have a very different dosage range than its immediate-release counterpart. At the very least the acceptable frequency of administration is very different. Differences in bioavailability between products as well as salt forms may need to be addressed through separate dosage ranges. The drug brand name unfortunately is also not a simple relationship to the generic drug. For example, a brand name can be applied to an ophthalmic product and a systemic tablet. Additional differentiators (such as route) would need to be included in any review prior to dose administration.
There are only a few real source providers of drug information that is integrated into various hospital and medical systems. More and more you are also starting to see this information show up on websites. Two leading providers are Lexi-Comp and Multum/Cerner.
The are some key things to look for if you have a need for drug information provider. First, make sure your vendor is really a partner and works well with you and is responsive to your requests. It might not sound like much, but makes all the difference in the world. Second, make sure they have effective APIs for you to grab the drug data. You might think about developing some of this yourself in-house, but the reality is that some of the requirements become complicated, and without the APIs it could get quite messy. For example, developing the algorithms for drug-drug or drug-allergy interactions. Third, make sure they have a solid reputation, but are not enormous in size. Otherwise you will get lost in the shuffle.
So if you need drug information such as: pediatric dosing charts, clinical guidelines, drug nomenclature, dose administration, drug interactions, generic and brand drug names, medicine lists, drug databases etc, make sure you work with the right partner.
The number of physicians utilizing eprescribing as their main method for writing prescriptions is increasing. Why? First, because it is more efficient. Second, government mandates will soon require that eprescribing be used to maximize reimbursement. So how many people are using eprescribing?
According to Surescripts, operator of a national eprescribing network, more than 200,000 office-based prescribers in the United States now use electronic prescribing technology. As part of these eprescribing applications, the practitioner is expecting robust drug information to be included. Issues of drug interactions, therapeutic dosages, drug nomenclature, pediatric dosing charts, pediatric dose calculations, medication brand names, duplicate drug therapy and more, are all part of the information that practitioners are looking for when they use an eprescribing tool.
If you are a physician, you should be checking into EMR alternatives the allow for eprescribing. When the mad scramble to comply starts in a year or two, you don't want to be in the fray. Not only that, there will be incentives for those early adopters.
Check out Lexi-Comp or Cerner/Multum as possible providers.
More and more EMRs are scrambling around to secure drug data to include their product. Some of the EMR vendors are looking to do this after they have received certification and some are doing this as part of their certification process. One area that they might be overlooking involves the APIs (and the concomitant support provided) that the drug data vendor provides. Many EMR developers decide they want to do this in-house. Some decide they want to do this to save money, while others decide to do this because their IT staff wants to own the entire process. But there is a problem with this. Even if they are IT experts, they are not experts in the management of this drug data.
Whether their EMR product includes drug-drug or drug-allergy interactions, pediatric dosing charts, medication or generic brand names, therapeutic dosages drug classifications, medicine lists, dosage administration, duplicate therapy, clinical guidelines, or more; the EMR vendor does usually have the internal experience and expertise to manage this information.
You are better off working with your vendor, whether it be Lexi-Comp, DoseSpot, or Cerner/Multum and relying on the APIs they offer. It will be faster, less error-prone, eat up fewer resources and keep more folks in the organization happy.
The number of physicians utilizing eprescribing as their main method for writing prescriptions is increasing. Why? First, because it is more efficient. Second, government mandates will soon require that eprescribing be used to maximize reimbursement. So how many people are using eprescribing?
According to Surescripts, operator of a national e-prescribing network, more than 200,000 office-based prescribers in the United States now use electronic prescribing technology. As part of these eprescribing applications, the practitioner is expecting robust drug information to be included. Issues of drug interactions, therapeutic dosages, drug nomenclature, pediatric dosing charts, pediatric dose calculations, medication brand names, duplicate drug therapy and more, are all part of the information that practitioners are looking for when they use an eprescribing tool.
Are you developing an EMR or EHR and need to make sure you have a top source of drug information? There are actually just a few providers of this information, including Lexi-Comp and Cerner/Multum. Make sure you don't wait to the end of your development process to decide which provider you are going with.
It's no secret that achieving meaningful use, per government guidelines, can feel about as elusive as finding Moby Dick. Wading through the pages of certification guidelines can seem like a never-ending battle, but it's not impossible. You've got partners all along the way to assist you and Lexi-Comp is here to help.
With both the
Drummond Group and
CCHIT releasing their first groups of Stage One approvals this week, the certification race has officially begun. And while getting certified may not be the hardest part of the development process, it's certainly one of the most important.
Part of the certification requires that an EHR system include information on drug interactions, therapeutic dosages, drug nomenclature, pediatric dosing charts, pediatric dose calculations, medication brand names, duplicate drug therapy and more. Don't take a chance on the drug product information that's powering your system, ensure that you're using the most comprehensive and easily integrated data available:
Lexi-Data.
More and more medical practitioners are using eprescribing as a means for writing prescriptions. Why? First, because it is more efficient. Second, government mandates will soon require that eprescribing be used to maximize reimbursement. So how many people are using eprescribing?
According to Surescripts, operator of a national e-prescribing network, more than 200,000 office-based prescribers in the United States now use electronic prescribing technology. As part of these eprescribing applications, the practitioner is expecting robust drug information to be included. Issues of drug interactions, therapeutic dosages, drug nomenclature, pediatric dosing charts, pediatric dose calculations, medication brand names, duplicate drug therapy and more, are all part of the information that practitioners are looking for when they use an eprescribing tool.
Are you developing an EMR or EHR and need to make sure you have a top source of drug information? There are actually just a few providers of this information, including Lexi-Comp and Cerner/Multum. Make sure you don't wait to the end of your development process to decide which provider you are going with.
According to a new
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society survey, 77% of health IT professionals would pursue incentive payments provided under Meaningful Use rules, Are you part of that 77% planning to receive incentive payments? If so, you need to make sure you have all your ducks in row to get a good ROI. How familiar are you with the requirements for Meaningful Use? How familiar are you with the certification process that flows from the new government mandates? In the current situation, familiarity doesn't even bring clarity -- especially in areas that are not in your bailiwick. With the help of trusted drug information providers, the fog begins to lift. Lexi-Comp has been providing drug information for safer decisions and improved patient outcomes for over 30 years. Wouldn't it feel better having 30 years of experience on your side?
With Lexi-Data – our transactional drug information database – the integration of drug databases into your system couldn’t be easier. Comprehensive, reliable and current, Lexi-Data can provide your system the core drug data content you need for drug names (brand and generic), updated NDCs, drug interaction checking, drug allergy checking, therapeutic duplication, dose range checking, Schedule II medications and more. Lexi-Data’s flexible and lightweight APIs (Java, .Net) will streamline the development process, decreasing the time it takes developers to integrate complex databases into your system.
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