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It is part of the OMOP collection.
RxNorm is the National Library of Medicine's standardized nomenclature for clinical drugs, providing normalized names and unique concept identifiers (RxCUIs) for medications. Developed to support interoperability between healthcare systems, RxNorm links its standardized drug names to the vocabularies commonly used in pharmacy management and drug interaction software, including First Databank, Micromedex, Multum, and Gold Standard Drug Database. By providing links between these diverse vocabularies, RxNorm enables seamless communication between systems that do not use the same software or terminology. RxNorm organizes drug information into a hierarchy of term types representing different levels of specificity, from ingredients through clinical drug components to specific branded and generic products. The nomenclature covers prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and now includes the United States Pharmacopeia Compendial Nomenclature containing all Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. RxNorm is updated monthly with new drug products, revisions to existing entries, and retirement of obsolete terms to maintain currency with the evolving pharmaceutical landscape. The system supports multiple use cases including electronic health records, e-prescribing, pharmacy management systems, drug interaction checking, clinical decision support, and public health surveillance.
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infores:rxnorm
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| ID | Name | URL | Category | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rxnorm.data_files | RxNorm Data Files | rxnormfiles.html | Product | http | Monthly releases of RxNorm data files... |
| rxnorm.api | RxNorm API | RxNormAPIs.html | ProgrammingInterface | http | RESTful web services providing progra... |
| rxnorm.rxnav | RxNav Browser | RxNav | GraphicalInterface | http | Interactive web browser for searching... |
| rxnorm.rxclass | RxClass | RxClass | GraphicalInterface | http | Tool for exploring drug class hierarc... |
| rxnorm.rxmix | RxMix | RxMix | ProgrammingInterface | http | Interactive tool allowing users to co... |
| rxnorm.rxnav_in_a_box | RxNav-in-a-Box | RxNav-in-a-Box.html | Product | http | Locally installable package containin... |
| ndfrt.rxnorm | VANDF in RxNorm | rxnorm | Product | ❔ | VANDF data integrated into RxNorm |
| ID | Name | URL | Category | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| athena.vocabularies ⚠ | Athena Vocabulary Downloads | list | Product | csv | Downloadable standardized vocabulary ... |
RxNorm is the National Library of Medicine’s standardized nomenclature for clinical drugs, serving as a foundational terminology for drug information exchange in healthcare IT systems. As a free, publicly available resource, RxNorm provides normalized names and unique identifiers for clinical drugs and links these names to the vocabularies used by pharmacy management and drug interaction software systems.
This resource has the Information Resource identifier: infores:rxnorm
RxNorm was developed to solve a critical interoperability problem in healthcare: different information systems use different drug naming conventions, making it difficult to communicate medication information across systems. By serving as a common language and providing links between proprietary drug vocabularies, RxNorm enables:
RxNorm organizes drug information hierarchically through term types:
Each concept receives a unique RxNorm Concept Unique Identifier (RxCUI) enabling consistent referencing across systems.
The RxNav ecosystem extends RxNorm with user-friendly tools and services:
Interactive web application for searching and exploring RxNorm drug concepts, viewing relationships, properties, and status information with multiple visualization options.
Exploration of drug class hierarchies from multiple classification systems including ATC, MeSH, FMTSME, EPC, and disease-specific classes, showing RxNorm drug members for each class.
Interactive platform allowing users to combine multiple API functions to create custom drug information applications and workflows.
Locally installable version of RxNav, RxClass, RxMix, and companion APIs for institutions requiring offline access or local deployment.
RxNorm data is freely available through:
RxNorm is required by the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) for use in certified EHR systems. The terminology supports:
RxNorm is updated monthly following a regular release schedule, incorporating:
Comprehensive documentation, training materials, video tutorials, and technical support are available through the NLM. Users can access FAQs, technical documentation, learning resources, and direct support from the RxNorm team.
Created: November 08, 2025 | Last modified: April 10, 2026