Coding System Design for Medicines and Medical Devices in Iran

Background and Aim: The importance of managing medicines and medical devices as vital resources in healthcare industry cannot be ignored. Therefore, the application of coding systems could be of great help in the control of the required processes. This study aims to develop a coding system for medicines and medical devices in Iran. Materials & Methods: This descriptive study was planned to be carried out in four phases from September 2018 to August 2019. To identify the requirements of designing a coding system for the classification of medicines and medical devices, library resources were studied, and the existing coding systems in the area of medicines and medical devices came under scrutiny. Then, based on the expert opinion on the results, the initial model of the coding system was designed. Results: Thirty-five coding systems were identified and investigated. To design the proposed system, two coding systems -- ATC/DDD and UMDNS -- were selected as a core for medicines and medical devices, respectively. Then, based on expert opinion, the axes for the place of consumption and the placement of products and also the application of Quick Response (QR) code for data encoding were added. Conclusion: The design and development of a comprehensive coding system–which is in compliance with the international protocols and capable of including both medicines and medical devices simultaneously – could be very helpful. Besides, using the location axis in the structure of coding system can improve the management of these products.