Medicines Data Repository

Managed by: Health New Zealand — Te Whatu Ora

Access information about prescribed and dispensed medicines.

Overview

The Medicines Data Repository (MDR) is a trusted source of prescribed and dispensed medicines information for New Zealanders. It is based on real-time information received directly from the New Zealand ePrescription Service (NZePS).

The purpose of the MDR is to provide FHIR based API access to a consolidated single source of NZePS data, accessible by NHI and HPI, that can be used by consumers and health providers.

MDR API

The MDR API provides read-only access to a person’s prescription and dispensing history. This information can be accessed through an approved system application via a FHIR API.

The MDR API provides the ability to:

  • request a person's medication history according to their NHI
  • request medication activity over a date range
  • lookup medications prescribed by a specific provider for a patient
  • request records of specific prescribed and dispensed medications.

Who can use this API

Access to the MDR is for organisations that meet the eligibility criteria related to medicines prescribing, dispensing, reconciliation and administering.

Example use cases

The information held in MDR is currently approved for the following uses.

The process of confirming what medication has currently, or recently, been prescribed or dispensed to a consumer and what the consumer has taken. This process is normally undertaken prior to any medical intervention by a health professional.

The process of confirming what medication a consumer is currently taking based on what was prescribed and dispensed. This process is normally undertaken when a consumer is not responding as expected to the medication prescribed.

The process of confirming a consumer's medication history before prescribing controlled drugs. The primary purpose is to ensure that the consumer is not over-prescribed controlled drugs.

API type

Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) REST API with OAuth based authentication.

Onboarding and implementation

To use the MDR API, you need to have your organisation and the system or application you intend to integrate the data with approved by Te Whatu Ora — Health New Zealand.

To get started, send an expression of interest to onlinehelpdesk@health.govt.nz.

The NZePS team at Te Whatu Ora — Health New Zealand will assess your application and reach out for further information.

Technical

The MDR API conforms to the FHIR R4 standard using New Zealand specific profiles of the Medication Request and Medication Dispense FHIR resources.

Access to the Production System will be enabled once integration into a sandpit environment is completed, tested and approved.

New Zealand MDR Implementation Guide(external link)

Learn more

New Zealand ePrescription Service — Ministry of Health(external link)