IMPACT-MH DCC Guidelines for Medication
Medications Source: EHR and Self reporting / interview
Latest update date: Apr 4, 2025
A medication can have multiple names depending on the context, with the primary distinction being between a generic name and a brand name. A generic name is the common name of the active ingredient present in the medication. A brand name is the specific marketing name given by the manufacturer. Thus, a medication may have several brand names. The brand names are also known as the trade names.
Mapping the generic name or brand name to a standardized coding system is necessary to identify the medication. The Data Collection Center (DCC) recommends RxNorm, a standard resource for mapping the medications. RxNorm has an API, a web service for accessing information from the RxNorm data set. RxNorm API can be used for retrieving the RxNorm code / RxCUI for the medications. Alternatively, RXNav, a browser for several medication information sources, including RxNorm, RxTerms and MED-RT, can be used for finding the medications in RxNorm. RxNav displays links from clinical medications, both branded and generic, to their active ingredients, medication components and related brand names.
DCC’s recommendation for drug-related products covers the following two categories:
- Prescription medications
- Over-the-counter (OTC) medications
Please note that while the intention is to gather as many details as possible about each drug, DCC recognizes that it may not always be feasible to collect all fields for each drug (e.g., when relying on patient self-reports). Nevertheless, we strongly recommend that each drug should include minimum information such as name, dosage, and frequency.
1. Prescription medications
These are the medications prescribed by a doctor or other medical professional for treating or preventing disease(s) or medical condition(s). The prescribed medications are regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Nearly all psychiatric medications are available only with a prescription.
The DCC recommends collecting medication-related information (see Table 1) for prescription medications.
Table 1. DCC recommended medication related information
| Field* | Potential value / Definition | Example |
| Medication name | Generic name / brand name | Fluoxetine / PROzac |
| RxNorm code / RxCUI | The standard code for the medication name from RxNorm | 4493 |
| Strength | The amount of active ingredient present in each dosage | “50mg” |
| Form | The physical form of a medication | “tablet” |
| Route | The route by which a medication is taken into the body | “By mouth” |
| Dosage | The specific quantity of medication to be administered at one time | “500” |
| Unit | Reflects the unit that is associated with the dosage | “mg” |
| Frequency | Refers to how often a medication should be taken within a specified period. | Once a day in the morning |
| Start date | The day on which the participant started taking the medication | 12/1/2024 |
| End date | The day on which the participant stopped taking the medication | 12/15/2024 |
2. OTC medications
These are the medications sold directly to the customers. OTC medications do not require a prescription from a doctor or a medical practitioner. The medications are generally safe and effective if the consumer follows the directions on the label and as directed by the doctor or other medical professionals.
The DCC recommends collecting medication-related information (see Table 1) for OTC medications.