Ambulatory Care Drug Database System

The new Ambulatory Care Drug Database System is now available, reflecting the switch to the Lexicon Plus®, a proprietary database of Cerner Multum, Inc, for coding drug characteristics in the NAMCS and NHAMCS. This switch occurred starting with 2006 NAMCS and NHAMCS data. The new online drug database reflects the recently released 2009 NAMCS and NHAMCS data.

The pre-2006 version of the Ambulatory Care Drug Database, which used NCHS classification systems along with FDA's National Drug Code Directory for coding drug characteristics, is still  available, but is only useful for looking up drug data on the NAMCS and NHAMCS for 2005 and previous years. It is NOT useful for combining data across years beyond 2005. For more information on what the switch means for data users researching multiple years of drugs, see Trend Analysis Using NAMCS and NHAMCS Drug Data.

See Understanding the New Ambulatory Care Drug Database System for more information about the new database.