WHO drug dictionary
The World Health Organization Drug Dictionary (WHO-DD) is a comprehensive coding system and terminology that provides a standardized vocabulary for medications. It is used internationally for the identification and classification of drugs in various healthcare-related activities, including pharmacovigilance, drug regulation, and clinical research.
Information about medication names, strengths, dose forms, and other pertinent characteristics may be found in the WHO-DD. It acts as a guide for classifying and identifying pharmaceuticals, allowing for standardised reporting of data relating to drugs. The WHO-DD coding system enables regulatory organisations and healthcare practitioners to precisely identify and categorise drugs linked to adverse events, allowing the monitoring of drug safety profiles and the identification of possible concerns.
A hierarchical framework that divides medications into various degrees of specificity is included in the WHO-DD. The most advanced level of drug classification divides pharmaceuticals into anatomical major categories (ATC level 1) based on their anatomical, therapeutic, and pharmacological characteristics. Drugs are then further divided into therapeutic (ATC level 2), pharmacological (ATC level 3), chemical (ATC level 4), and particular drug entity (ATC level 5) categories. The systematic categorization and identification of medications based on their characteristics is made possible by this hierarchical framework.
The WHO-DD is often updated to reflect new medications, modifications to the drug nomenclature, and other pertinent updates. Multiple languages are supported by the coding system, enabling accessibility and usefulness across many geographies and healthcare systems. It is extensively used by regulatory bodies, pharmaceutical firms, medical professionals, and academics throughout the globe to promote information sharing, analysis, and comparison relating to drugs.
Summary
The World Health Organisation Drug Dictionary (WHO-DD) is a standardised language and classification scheme that offers a thorough vocabulary for drugs. It makes it possible to consistently identify and categorise medications, enabling tasks including reporting adverse events, regulating medications, and conducting clinical research. The WHO-DD's hierarchical structure makes it easier to organise and retrieve drug information in a systematic way, improving patient safety and knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of various medications.
