For over 25 years, First DataBank has been a pioneer in the retail pharmacy market. Our renowned drug database—the
National Drug Data File Plus (NDDF Plus)—is a key component of most retail pharmacy dispensing systems in the US and Canada. We supply integrated, actionable drug information to facilitate drug utilization review (DUR); to help ensure proper drug dispensing and patient safety; and to support cost management. NDDF Plus provides a powerful, reliable solution for any electronic dispensing system. As such, it plays an essential role as pharmacies continue to improve the safety, efficiency and usability of pharmacy dispensing operations.
Partnering for Patient Safety and Economic Efficiency
In recent decades, the clinical and marketplace demands on retail pharmacy dispensing have grown dramatically.
Ever since OBRA '90 imposed its demands for DUR, First DataBank has delivered the industry's most comprehensive clinical screening modules for drug-drug interactions, drug-allergy interactions and duplicate-therapy detection. We also provide patient-education monographs, professional drug reference information (AHFS Drug Information® monographs), prioritized patient-counseling messages and prescription warning labels.
To support pharmacy needs in dispensing flawlessly what physicians prescribe, we've created the industry's most comprehensive database of drug images and drug imprints. These databases enable you to check the physical traits of about-to-be-dispensed products and reconcile any differences with the prescription. Our Tall Man Plus database also helps prevent dispensing errors caused by look-alike and sound-alike drug product names. And we accommodate bar-code solutions by enabling developers to link drug Universal Product Codes with our National Drug Code (NDC) identifiers.
On the business side, First DataBank's drug classification categories readily accommodate third-party payers' pre-adjudication of claims. Our solutions also support industry-standard billing processes, and help ensure that billing occurs automatically once you've dispensed a prescription. Moreover, our active involvement with standards development organizations (SDO's) means that all of our content adheres to SDO requirements. This includes, for example, the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs' Billing Unit Standards for claims transmission.
NDDF Plus—which includes comprehensive pricing information updated daily—also facilitates business-savvy purchasing processes. For example, we use innovative drug identifiers that allow you to quickly and easily compare packaging and prices of similar products, and gauge their availability. Those same drug identifiers help you effectively balance inventory levels with service needs. As one example, they help you identify equivalent drug-therapy products that can help minimize inventory costs while delivering equal or better therapeutic results.
Essential Building Blocks
In short, First DataBank sets the standard for providing context-relevant drug information for efficient integration into pharmacy dispensing systems.
NDDF Plus is the leader in supplying comprehensive coverage of descriptive, pricing and clinical information on drugs. It encompasses medications approved by the FDA, plus commonly used over-the-counter drugs and information on herbals, nutraceuticals and dietary supplements. Comprehensive and up-to-date are the key concepts here, since drug content is dynamic and notoriously difficult to maintain. The number of drugs on the market has grown exponentially in recent years, not to mention the challenge of daily changes in pricing information. It's essential, therefore, that the drug database behind pharmacy dispensing systems be the most reliable in the industry. NDDF Plus is that database.
First DataBank has also created Multiple Access Points (MAPs), basic drug identifiers that enable you to zero in on drug information quickly and appropriately within your normal workflow — from clinical screening to billing, purchasing, and inventory management. And you can take advantage of First DataBank's proprietary Enhanced Therapeutic Classification (ETC) system to revise clinical information at as general or specific a level as necessary.