Find-A-Code Focus Newsletter

Underdosing - a New Clinical Concept in ICD-10 codes T36 - T50

January 28, 2015

T36-T50 Poisoning by, adverse effects of and underdosing of drugs, medicaments and biological substances (T36-T50)

Underdosing is a clinical concept new to ICD-10. Underdosing identifies situations referring to the practice of a patient taking less medication as prescribed by a physician, or a physician prescribing less than what is prescribed by the manufacturer, resulting in poor patient outcomes.

Examples:

Inappropriate prescribing by the physician

  • Physician under prescribing with no justification                             
  • Outdated patient's weight in the medical record can give incorrect weight-based dosage.
  • Prescribing a reduced amount due to adverse affects
  • Antibiotics given at a reduced or “renal dose” and not increased once renal function recovers.  

Patient was prescribed medication to treat a condition and the patient was not compliant

Either deliberately or inadvertently, the patient did not take the medication as prescribed by their physician or took a reduced amount

Coding example:

36 YO Female came in complaining of sharp pains on the right side of her back. Patient was seen previously and treated for a UTI. Patient states she did not finish her medication (tetracycline), which resulted in pyelonephritis (Kidney infection).

Diagnosed as follows:

First Diagnosis

N10 - Acute tubulo-interstitial nephritis

This event triggered or was prolonged due to this circumstance

Second Diagnosis

T36.4X6A - Underdosing of tetracyclines, initial

underdosing code assigned as secondary

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T36

A - initial encounter
D - subsequent encounter
S - sequela



Modern Medicine:
http://formularyjournal.modernmedicine.com/formulary-journal/content/tags/outcomes/medication-underdosing-and-underprescribing-important-issues?page=full

AmeriHealth:
http://provcomm.amerihealth.com/ProvComm/ProvComm.nsf/97a31cd29b5fe42d8525796500622a04/7664d49c87ecc1e185257a28005e33a2!OpenDocument

Find-A-Code.com:
http://www.findacode.com/code-set.php?set=ICD10CM&i=28531


share
 

More Items in January 2015


To view more items select a month from our "Items by Month" list.

Or view documentation, coding and billing articles.

 
News Items by Month
February 2022- 1
2021 - View
2020 - View
2019 - View
2018 - View
2017 - View
2016 - View
2015 - View
2014 - View
2013 - View
2012 - View
2011 - View
2010 - View
2009 - View
2008 - View
demo
request yours today
subscribe
start today
newsletter
free subscription

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.