ePMA Implementation Guidance for FHIR STU3

This guidance is under active development by NHS Digital and content may be added or updated on a regular basis.
Please note: This guidance has been superseded by the Implementation guide for digitial medicines, which contains up-to-date information.

Element: priority

Recommendation: not to be used within an implementation - or used with caution.

The stating of a priority, in any business context including healthcare, is often de-valued as given the choice, every clinician wants medication urgently for their patients.

The FHIR standard uses a fixed value-set, that cannot be modified, denoting priority in increasing order of magnitude, with stat being the highest possible priority, e.g. an emergency.

Code Display Definition
routine Routine The request has normal priority.
urgent Urgent The order should be urgently.
stat STAT The order is time-critical.
asap ASAP The order should be acted on as soon as possible.

Usage of the term "STAT"

The STAT request priority is potentially confusing as it has two meanings:

  1. to indicate a "here and now" order going to pharmacy
  2. used within a dosageInstruction can also mean "give once immediately"

If priority is used, consider only initially supporting the routine and urgent request priorities, and set clear criteria for when a medicationRequest should be marked and handled as urgent.

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