Description

For all medication-round fills, except those determined to be a confidentiality risk (see below), RXNAME reports the unedited pharmacy-provided name of the prescribed medicine. See also RXNDC and RXDRGNAM for additional information about prescribed medication-round fill attributes.

A drug can pose a confidentiality risk for several reasons. Examples include orphan drugs, drugs that are estimated to be used by fewer than 200,000 people, or drug names that provide identifying information about the pharmacy or respondent. An orphan drug is a drug that treats a rare disease or condition but has been discontinued because there is little or no economic incentive to continue development or production. See Rare Diseases at the FDA for more information about how these drugs are designated and the effort to financially support their development and production under the Orphan Drug Act. See the codes tab for more detailed information about how cases that pose a confidentiality risk are handled in the data.

IPUMS MEPS reports the universe for each variable based on a thorough review of the original MEPS documentation. Investigating the data may reveal cases that do not meet the stated universe. Users are encouraged to validate universes for their analyses.

RXNAME is on the prescribed medication-round fill record (or "medication-round fill record," see RECTYPE for more details on the different record types in IPUMS MEPS). Variables offered on the medication-round fill record through IPUMS MEPS are derived from the prescribed medicines file provided by AHRQ. Please see our overview of the event, medical conditions, and prescribed medicines variables, including how those variables are offered through IPUMS MEPS, and general considerations to keep in mind when conducting analyses using these variables.

RXNAME is a 50-character string variable.

In 1996-2006 samples, in the case that a prescription drug name was determined to be a confidentiality risk, RXNAME is assigned a value of 0: "Not in Universe." Users should note that in the original documentation, this value was -9: "Not Ascertained."

In 2015-onward samples, in the case that a prescription drug name was determined to be an orphan drug or a drug estimated to be used by fewer than 200,000 people, the most detailed Multum Lexicon therapeutic classification value available (see MULTC1) replaced RXNAME (pharmacy-reported medication name). The most detailed classification value available means that if a medication fill has a sub-sub-class value assigned, such as "SSRI antidepressants," this is the value used for RXNAME in the case that the drug name was determined to be a confidentiality risk. If a medication fill has a sub-class value, such as "antidepressants," but no sub-sub-class value is assigned, then the sub-class value is the value used for RXNAME. If a medication fill has a class value, such as "psychotherapeutic agents," but no sub-class or sub-sub-class value is assigned, then the class value is the value used for RXNAME.

In 2015-onward samples, in the case that a prescription drug name was determined to be a confidentiality risk for reasons other than it being an orphan drug or a drug used by fewer than 200,000 people, RXNAME is assigned a value of 0: "Not in Universe." Users should note that in the original documentation for 2018-onward samples, this value was -15: "Cannot be Computed."

In 2007, 2009, and 2010 samples, in the case that a prescription drug name was determined to be a confidentiality risk, the original documentation suggests that the most detailed Multum Lexicon therapeutic classification value available replaced RXNAME, however, the data indicate that RXNAME is assigned a value of 0: "Not in Universe."

In 2008, 2011, and 2012 samples, in the case that a prescription drug name was determined to be a confidentiality risk, the original documentation suggests that the most detailed Multum Lexicon therapeutic classification value available replaced RXNAME, however, neither the Multum Lexicon therapeutic classification values nor values of 0: "Not in Universe" are present in the data for RXNAME.

In the 2013 sample, in the case that a prescription drug name was determined to be a confidentiality risk, the original documentation suggests that the most detailed Multum Lexicon therapeutic classification value available replaced RXNAME, and the data indicates that this is the case. Additionally, the data contains RXNAME values of 0: "Not in Universe" that are not identified in the original documentation.

In the 2014 sample, in the case that a prescription drug name was determined to be a confidentiality risk, RXNAME is assigned a value of 0: "Not in Universe," which is in line with both the original documentation and the data. However, some RXNAME values are assigned the most detailed Multum Lexicon therapeutic classification value, which is not identified in the original documentation.

Comparability

The data editing procedures employed by AHRQ to handle cases where the drug name was determined to be a confidentiality risk differs between MEPS samples. Please refer to the codes tab for more information. Aside from changes to these data editing procedures, there are no comparability issues.

Universe

Availability

• 1996-2022

Weights

• 1996-2022 : PERWEIGHT

Flags