FDBE has already delivered the DRC module for use in development of systems. We have now authored DRC data, where appropriate, for the top 600 most frequently prescribed products with coverage growing all the time. The content is currently limited to maintenance doses for all common indications, with additional dose types being populated in the future.

FDBE is seeking partnerships with customers to integrate the DRC module and to provide feedback for future enhancements. If you are interested in working with FDBE, please contact Customer Services on 01392 456 111.

SEF specifications require systems to categorise some alerts and FDBE now provides additional outputs to help customers to identify the relevant alerts.

To enable identification of duplicate results when performing interaction checks on a number of drugs at the same time e.g. batch processing, FDBE now supplies a secondary drug identifier within the drug interaction module (i.e. an identifier for each drug on the patient record). This will enable the duplication of results to be identified and removed.

Providing this date allows dispensing doctors and pharmacies to keep recently discontinued products in a picking list so that, for a limited period (which could be specified by the system or the user), any discontinued products remaining on a pharmacy’s shelves can be dispensed.

Multilex DDF now provides an indication of the number of professional fees per prescription item. Dispensing doctors and pharmacies can use this information, along with their own knowledge of the application of fees, to complete the 'Number of Fees' box at the bottom of the prescription form for a single product or pack prescribed.

A more comprehensive calculation of professional fees is available using the FDBE Endorsing & Reimbursement Toolkit.

NHS Connecting for Health in England and NHS Scotland’s e-pharmacy programme have each defined a list of products which are not allowed to be sent via an electronic prescription message. FDBE now provides a flag against these products to indicate to customers where an electronic prescription message should not be sent due to the product being out of scope of the Electronic Prescription Service or e-pharmacy.