RxTerms
TOOLS & RESOURCES
TOOLS & RESOURCES
RxTerms
RxTerms is a drug interface terminology derived from
RxNorm
for prescription writing or medication history recording (e.g. in
e-prescribing systems, PHRs).
Advantages
The advantages of RxTerms are:
Free to use.
Directly links to RxNorm, the U.S. drug terminology standard, and facilitates inclusion of RxNorm
identifiers in electronic health records.
Efficient data entry - RxTerms separates the full names in RxNorm into two parts: drug name + route
(e.g. INDERAL (Oral-pill)) and strength + dose form (e.g. 80 MG Tabs) to avoid big picklists with
excessively long names. It excludes drugs from RxNorm that are obsolete or unavailable in the U.S.*
User-friendly features - commonly used synonyms and abbreviations (e.g. HCTZ for hydrochlorothiazide),
"tall man" lettering recommended by FDA to avoid medication errors (e.g. ChlorproMAZINE and
ChlorproPAMIDE).
Good coverage - retains the broad coverage of RxNorm for U.S. prescribable drugs - 99% coverage of both
generic and brand names of U.S. most commonly prescribed drugs according to one assessment. RxTerms is
tailored for U.S. prescribing and it might not be the right choice for many non-U.S. countries.
RxTerms is developed and maintained by the
Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical
Communications, NLM
. Please directly email comments or questions to:
NLM Support Center
* Availability in U.S. is based on the Current Prescribable Content of RxNorm. This is an approximation and
may not be 100% accurate.
Ways to Access RxTerms
RxTerms is published as a zip of files that may be loaded into a SQL database. These files are described below.
Information from the current edition of RxTerms is also available via the
RxTerms API
The
Clinical Table Search Service
serves RxTerms among other data sets.
Demonstration
The
RxTerms Demo
offers auto-completion using the
Clinical Table Search Service
and
LHC-Forms
Release Schedule
RxTerms is updated monthly following the RxNorm full monthly release, whose schedule can be found at the
RxNorm Overview
Download Current RxTerms Data Files
Current release:
RxTerms202604.zip
Cumulative
Release notes
Sample
load script
for loading RxTerms into MySQL
An
archive
of older RxTerms releases is below.
RxTerms File Structure
Main RxTerms file - RxTerms(version).txt
These are the fields and their description:
RXCUI - the RxNorm unique identifier for the clinical drug, which can be one of the following term
types:
Semantic Clinical Drug (SCD) e.g. azithromycin 250 MG Oral Capsule.
Semantic Branded Drug (SBD) e.g. azithromycin 250 MG Oral Capsule [Zithromax].
Generic Pack (GPCK) e.g. {6 (azithromycin 250 MG Oral Tablet) } Pack
Branded Pack (BPCK) e.g. {6 (azithromycin 250 MG Oral Tablet [Zithromax]) } Pack [Z-PAKS].
GENERIC_RXCUI - this is the corresponding generic clinical drug for SBD and BPCK (null for SCD).
TTY - term type in RxNorm.
FULL_NAME - the full RxNorm name of the clinical drug.
RXN_DOSE_FORM - dose form and intended route information from RxNorm.
FULL_GENERIC_NAME - the generic part of the full RxNorm name.
BRAND_NAME - the brand name part of the full RxNorm name (null for SCD). Brand names are in all
uppercase to distinguish them from generic names.
DISPLAY_NAME - drug name (either generic or brand name) and intended route e.g. INDERAL (Oral-pill).
ROUTE - intended route derived from RXN_DOSE_FORM.
NEW_DOSE_FORM - dose form derived from RXN_DOSE_FORM.
STRENGTH - strength information parsed from the RxNorm full name.
SUPPRESS_FOR - to flag drug names deemed not likely to be useful for data entry. For example, long
generic drug names with multiple ingredients (e.g. Bacitracin/Hydrocortisone/Neomycin/Polymyxin B) are
suppressed because they are almost always prescribed by their brand names (e.g. CORTISPORIN OINTMENT).
Any non-null value means that a row should be suppressed.
DISPLAY_NAME_SYNONYM - commonly used synonyms or abbreviations for the drug e.g. MOM for Milk of
Magnesia.
IS_RETIRED - to flag records that existed in earlier versions but not in the latest version.
SXDG_RXCUI - the RxNorm unique identifier for the entity represented by the DISPLAY_NAME (drug +
intended route). The corresponding TTY (term type) in RxNorm is either SCDG (Semantic Clinical Doseform
Group) or SBDG (Semantic Branded Doseform Group), as represented in the field SXDG_TTY.
SXDG_TTY - the RxNorm TTY of the semantic doseform group
SXDG_NAME - the RxNorm name of the semantic doseform group
PSN - the RxNorm prescribable name
The fields DISPLAY_NAME, DISPLAY_NAME_SYNONYM, NEW_DOSE_FORM and STRENGTH are probably the most useful. We
advise you to exclude rows that are suppressed or retired (i.e. rows with non-null values in SUPPRESS_FOR or
IS_RETIRED).
A sample of the data
RXCUI
GENERIC_RXCUI
TTY
FULL_NAME
RXN_DOSE_FORM
FULL_GENERIC_NAME
BRAND_NAME
DISPLAY_NAME
ROUTE
NEW_DOSE_FORM
STRENGTH
SUPPRESS_FOR
DISPLAY_NAME_SYNONYM
IS_RETIRED
SXDG_RXCUI
SXDG_TTY
SXDG_NAME
PSN
1005831
1005830
BPCK
{48 (prednisolone 5 MG Oral Tablet [MILLIPRED]) } Pack [Millipred DP 12 Day]
Pack
{48 (prednisolone 5 MG Oral Tablet [MILLIPRED]) } Pack
MILLIPRED DP 12 DAY
MILLIPRED DP 12 DAY (Pack)
Pack
Pack
mixed
NA
NA
NA
Millipred DP 48 Count 12 Day Pack
1005830
GPCK
{48 (prednisolone 5 MG Oral Tablet) } Pack
Pack
{48 (prednisolone 5 MG Oral Tablet) } Pack
prednisoLONE (Pack)
Pack
Pack
mixed
NA
NA
NA
prednisoLONE 5 MG Oral Tablet 48 Count Pack
668664
311427
SBD
Magnesium Hydroxide 311 MG Chewable Tablet [Phillips Milk of Magnesia]
Chewable Tablet
Magnesium Hydroxide 311 MG Chewable Tablet
PHILLIPS MILK OF MAGNESIA
PHILLIPS MILK OF MAGNESIA (Chewable)
Chewable
Tab
311 mg
MOM
1296548
SBDG
Phillips Milk of Magnesia Chewable Product
Phillips' Milk of Magnesia 311 MG Chewable Tablet
1001397
SCD
Calcium Carbonate 300 MG / Ergocalciferol 62.5 UNT Oral Tablet
Oral Capsule
Calcium Carbonate 300 MG / Ergocalciferol 62.5 UNT Oral Tablet
Calcium Carbonate/Ergocalciferol (Oral Pill)
Oral pill
Tab
300-62.5 var units
VITAMIN D; VIT-D
1153290
SCDG
Calcium Carbonate / Ergocalciferol Pill
calcium carbonate 300 MG / vitamin D2 62.5 UNT Oral Tablet
Ingredients file - Ingredients(version).txt (available after 201106 release)
This file lists the ingredients and their RXCUIs for every drug in RxTerms that is not suppressible or
retired.
RXCUI - the RxNorm uniquie identifier for the clinical drug
INGREDIENT - name of ingredient
ING_RXCUI - RXCUI of ingredient
A sample of the data
RXCUI
INGREDIENT
ING_RXCUI
1000000
Amlodipine
17767
1000000
Hydrochlorothiazide
5487
1000000
olmesartan
321064
1000009
Miconazole
6932
1000009
Zinc Oxide
11423
1000009
dimethicone
324072
Archive
These are the past releases of RxTerms.
RxTerms202603.zip
RxTerms202602.zip
RxTerms202601.zip
RxTerms202512.zip
RxTerms202510.zip
RxTerms202509.zip
RxTerms202508.zip
RxTerms202507.zip
RxTerms202506.zip
RxTerms202505.zip
RxTerms202504.zip
RxTerms202503.zip
RxTerms202502.zip
RxTerms202501.zip
RxTerms202412.zip
RxTerms202411.zip
RxTerms202410.zip
RxTerms202409.zip
RxTerms202408.zip
RxTerms202407.zip
RxTerms202406.zip
RxTerms202405.zip
RxTerms202404.zip
RxTerms202403.zip
RxTerms202402.zip
RxTerms202401.zip
RxTerms202312.zip
RxTerms202311.zip
RxTerms202310.zip
RxTerms202309.zip
RxTerms202308.zip
RxTerms202307.zip
RxTerms202306.zip
RxTerms202305.zip
RxTerms202304.zip
RxTerms202303.zip
RxTerms202302.zip
RxTerms202301.zip
RxTerms202212.zip
RxTerms202211.zip
RxTerms202210.zip
RxTerms202209.zip
RxTerms202208.zip
RxTerms202207.zip
RxTerms202206.zip
RxTerms202205.zip
RxTerms202204.zip
RxTerms202203.zip
RxTerms202202.zip
RxTerms202201.zip
RxTerms202112.zip
RxTerms202111.zip
RxTerms202110.zip
RxTerms202109.zip
RxTerms202108.zip
RxTerms202107.zip
RxTerms202106.zip
RxTerms202105.zip
RxTerms202104.zip
RxTerms202103.zip
RxTerms202102.zip
RxTerms202101.zip
RxTerms202012.zip
RxTerms202011.zip
RxTerms202010.zip
RxTerms202009.zip
RxTerms202008.zip
RxTerms202007.zip
RxTerms202006.zip
RxTerms202005.zip
RxTerms202004.zip
RxTerms202003.zip
RxTerms202002.zip
RxTerms202001.zip
RxTerms201912.zip
RxTerms201911.zip
RxTerms201910.zip
RxTerms201909.zip
RxTerms201908.zip
RxTerms201907.zip
RxTerms201906.zip
RxTerms201905.zip
RxTerms201904.zip
RxTerms201903.zip
RxTerms201902.zip
RxTerms201901.zip
RxTerms201812.zip
RxTerms201811.zip
RxTerms201810.zip
RxTerms201809.zip
RxTerms201808.zip
RxTerms201807.zip
RxTerms201806.zip
RxTerms201805.zip
RxTerms201804.zip
RxTerms201803.zip
RxTerms201802.zip
RxTerms201801.zip
RxTerms201712.zip
RxTerms201711.zip
RxTerms201710.zip
RxTerms201709.zip
RxTerms201708.zip
RxTerms201707.zip
RxTerms201706.zip
RxTerms201705.zip
RxTerms201704.zip
RxTerms201703.zip
RxTerms201702.zip
RxTerms201701.zip
RxTerms201612.zip
RxTerms201611.zip
RxTerms201610.zip
RxTerms201609.zip
RxTerms201608.zip
RxTerms201607.zip
RxTerms201606.zip
RxTerms201605.zip
RxTerms201604.zip
RxTerms201603.zip
RxTerms201602.zip
RxTerms201601.zip
RxTerms201512.zip
RxTerms201511.zip
RxTerms201510.zip
RxTerms201509.zip
RxTerms201508.zip
RxTerms201507.zip
RxTerms201506.zip
RxTerms201505.zip
RxTerms201504.zip
RxTerms201503.zip
RxTerms201502.zip
RxTerms201501.zip
RxTerms201412.zip
RxTerms201411.zip
RxTerms201410.zip
RxTerms201409.zip
RxTerms201408.zip
RxTerms201407.zip
RxTerms201406.zip
RxTerms201405.zip
RxTerms201404.zip
RxTerms201403.zip
RxTerms201402.zip
RxTerms201401.zip
RxTerms201312.zip
RxTerms201311.zip
RxTerms201310.zip
RxTerms201309.zip
RxTerms201308.zip
RxTerms201307.zip
RxTerms201306.zip
RxTerms201305.zip
RxTerms201304.zip
RxTerms201303.zip
RxTerms201302.zip
RxTerms201301.zip
RxTerms201212.zip
RxTerms201211.zip
RxTerms201210.zip
RxTerms201209.zip
RxTerms201208.zip
RxTerms201207.zip
RxTerms201206.zip
RxTerms201205.zip
RxTerms201204.zip
RxTerms201203.zip
RxTerms201202.zip
RxTerms201201.zip
RxTerms201112.zip
RxTerms201111.zip
RxTerms201110.zip
RxTerms201109.zip
RxTerms201108.zip
RxTerms201107.zip
RxTerms201106.zip
RxTerms201105.zip
RxTerms201104.zip
RxTerms201103.zip
RxTerms201102.zip
RxTerms201101.zip
RxTerms201012.zip
RxTerms201011.zip
RxTerms201010.zip
RxTerms201009.zip
RxTerms201008.zip
RxTerms201007.zip
RxTerms201006.zip
RxTerms201005.zip
RxTerms201004.zip
RxTerms201003.zip
RxTerms201002.zip
RxTerms201001.zip
RxTerms200912.zip
RxTerms200911.zip
RxTerms200910.zip
RxTerms200909.zip
RxTerms200908.zip
RxTerms200907.zip
RxTerms200906.zip
RxTerms200905.zip
RxTerms200904.zip
RxTerms200903.zip
RxTerms200902.zip
RxTerms200901.zip
RxTerms200812.zip
RxTerms200811.zip
RxTerms200810.zip