RxNorm: prescription for electronic drug information exchange

Commercial drug information systems follow a variety of naming conventions. A smooth electronic exchange of the information in these systems - not only between organizations but even within a single organization - is crucial in assuring patient safety. This exchange requires a standardized nomenclature. To meet this need, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) created RxNorm, a standardized nomenclature for clinical drugs that is one of a suite of standards designated for use in US federal government systems for the electronic exchange of clinical health information.