Re: [Gnumed-devel] clin_medication

[Karsten Hilbert]

> > > The extent to which clin_medication has to replicate a drug database 
> > > to store script information is an open question.
> > IMO clin_medication should pointedly NOT replicate a drug
> > database. It should store drug information in a way as to
> > facilitate identification of the drug in *any* drug database
> > *regardless* of source database.
> 
> That's the problem!
Do I interpret you correctly if I think you are saying that
storing "enough" drug information to identify a drug across
various sources is the problem ?

> Just storing a drug database ID code is the easy solution. 
And the wrong one. However, I would advocate having fields

 ufk_drug text
 drug_db text

, eg. an unchecked foreign key into the drug database drug_db.
This is an oqapue value as far as PostgreSQL is concerned.
Applications need to know what to do about it. Nevertheless it
is of great utility.

*Additionally* one must store sufficient data (name,
packaging) to be able to identify the drug regardless.

> Small problem: not all databases guarantee such an ID across time.
Too bad. We can't better them easily. But we can try to reap
the benefits they offer the way they are.

> Storing other information gets hairy, as you need to store compounds
I know but we don't really have no other choice.

In Germany we have the PZN (PharmaZentralNummer - central drug
number) which is supposed to uniquely identify a drug over
time. Writing that to a data soup field helps a lot.

> etc. Form *is* important: chloramphenical eye drops are not the same as
> chloramphenicol IV infusion,
Now I get it. Preparation of drug. Sure that's important.

Karsten
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