RxNorm uses SAB=RXNORM term types (TTYs) to classify normalized names by type of concept. NLM creates SAB=RXNORM normalized names for generic drugs, branded drugs, ingredients, and dose forms at various levels of specificity. For example, TTY=SCD normalized names include Ingredient + Strength + Dose Form, while TTY=SBD normalized names include Ingredient + Strength + Dose Form + Brand Name. The table below describes the types of concepts NLM creates for SAB=RXNORM. For each RxNorm concept that includes a SAB=RXNORM normalized name, the concept will include only one TTY from the table below.
| TTY | Name | Description | Normalized Name Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN | Ingredient | A compound or moiety that gives the drug its distinctive clinical properties. Ingredients generally use the United States Adopted Name (USAN). | Fluoxetine |
| PIN | Precise Ingredient | A specified form of the ingredient that may or may not be clinically active. Most precise ingredients are salt or isomer forms. | Fluoxetine Hydrochloride |
| MIN | Multiple Ingredients | Two or more ingredients appearing together in a single drug preparation, created from SCDF. In rare cases when IN/PIN or PIN/PIN combinations of the same base ingredient exist, created from SCD. | Fluoxetine / Olanzapine |
| SCDC | Semantic Clinical Drug Component | Ingredient + Strength | Fluoxetine 4 MG/ML |
| SCDF | Semantic Clinical Drug Form | Ingredient + Dose Form | Fluoxetine Oral Solution |
| SCDFP | Semantic Clinical Drug Form Precise |
Precise Ingredient + Dose Form
Exists only if the Basis of Strength (BoSS) is a precise ingredient for a related fully specified drug name. |
warfarin sodium Oral Tablet
bisoprolol fumarate / hydrochlorothiazide Oral Tablet |
| SCDG | Semantic Clinical Drug Group | Ingredient + Dose Form Group | Fluoxetine Oral Product |
| SCDGP | Semantic Clinical Drug Form Group Precise |
Precise Ingredient + Dose Form Group
Exists only if the Basis of Strength (BoSS) is a precise ingredient for a related fully specified drug name. |
warfarin sodium Pill |
| SCD | Semantic Clinical Drug | Ingredient + Strength + Dose Form | Fluoxetine 4 MG/ML Oral Solution |
| GPCK | Generic Pack | {# (Ingredient + Strength + Dose Form) / # (Ingredient + Strength + Dose Form)} Pack | {11 (varenicline 0.5 MG Oral Tablet) / 42 (varenicline 1 MG Oral Tablet) } Pack |
| BN | Brand Name | A proprietary name for a family of products containing a specific active ingredient. | Prozac |
| SBDC | Semantic Branded Drug Component | Ingredient + Strength + Brand Name | Fluoxetine 4 MG/ML [Prozac] |
| SBDF | Semantic Branded Drug Form | Ingredient + Dose Form + Brand Name | Fluoxetine Oral Solution [Prozac] |
| SBDFP | Semantic Branded Drug Form Precise |
Ingredient + Dose Form + Brand Name
Exists only if the Basis of Strength (BoSS) is a precise ingredient for a related fully specified drug name |
warfarin sodium Oral Tablet [Coumadin] |
| SBDG | Semantic Branded Drug Group | Brand Name + Dose Form Group | Prozac Pill |
| SBD | Semantic Branded Drug | Ingredient + Strength + Dose Form + Brand Name | Fluoxetine 4 MG/ML Oral Solution [Prozac] |
| BPCK | Brand Name Pack | {# (Ingredient Strength Dose Form) / # (Ingredient Strength Dose Form)} Pack [Brand Name] | {12 (Ethinyl Estradiol 0.035 MG / Norethindrone 0.5 MG Oral Tablet) / 9 (Ethinyl Estradiol 0.035 MG / Norethindrone 1 MG Oral Tablet) / 7 (Inert Ingredients 1 MG Oral Tablet) } Pack [Leena 28 Day] |
| DF | Dose Form | See Appendix 2 for a full list of Dose Forms. | Oral Solution |
| DFG | Dose Form Group | See Appendix 3 for a full list of Dose Form Groups. | Oral Liquid |
RxNorm also uses SAB=RXNORM term types to identify types of synonyms. For each RxNorm concept that includes a SAB=RXNORM name with a TTY from the above table, the concept may also include SAB=RXNORM names with TTYs from the table below.
| TTY | Name | Description | Normalized Name Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSN | Prescribable Name | Synonym of another TTY, given for clarity and for display purposes in electronic prescribing applications. Only one PSN per concept. | Leena 28 Day Pack |
| SY | Synonym | Synonym of another TTY, given for clarity. Zero or one-to-many SY per concept. | Prozac 4 MG/ML Oral Solution |
| TMSY | Tall Man Lettering Synonym | Tall Man Lettering synonym of another TTY, given to distinguish between commonly confused drugs. Zero or one-to-many TMSY per concept. | FLUoxetine 10 MG Oral Capsule [PROzac] |
In addition, there is a small number of concepts with TTY=ET, a term type reserved for entry terms for dose forms but not currently formally related to them. Example: Nasal Drops.
Last Reviewed: August 2, 2024