Re: Fwd: Re: [Gnumed-devel] Drug database/browser/prescription design

[Ian Haywood]

On Tue, Sep 10, 2002 at 11:40:27AM +1000, richard terry wrote:
> 
> > 3. If the backend definition for the drug database does not match the
> > specification of some regionally available database, should the current
> > definition made more general to match it or should it be customized to the
> > special requirements ?
> 
The database structure in CVS is an 'idealised' drug database. It bears
no relationship to the drugbrowser and prescription screen. Currently,
there is no way to 'fill' it with data, so its usefulness is limited.

So we are stuck with using specific drug databases on the backend: MIMS
and AMIS. The danger is these differences can work their way through,
until we have totally incompatible German and Australian versions of
Gnumed.

One option is to have a 'drug database driver', which exports a common
API to the drug database browser (I don't see why this needs to be
different between Germany and Australia, other than the normal
translation of strings) and the prescription writer. 

I admit, I only have the vaguest idea want such an API should look like.

The prescription writer needs local modification of course, but, IMHO,
we should start with a reference version, which can load 'bureaucrat'
modules for each regulatory regime. 

Ian