IE Medication Events Implementation Guide
0.1.0 - Nostalgic IE (draft) Ireland flag

IE Medication Events Implementation Guide - Local Development build (v0.1.0) built by the FHIR (HL7® FHIR® Standard) Build Tools. See the Directory of published versions

HIQA Alignment

Based on a consultation draft. HIQA published the Draft National Standard for Electronic Prescriptions and Electronic Dispensations for public consultation in September 2026. It will change after consultation, and this page will change with it. This IG is a proof of concept. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, HIQA, the HSE, HL7 Ireland, HL7 Europe or the Department of Health.

Rules this IG follows

  • Trace every element. Each of the 242 HIQA EP data elements maps to an element here, or is recorded as a gap. See HIQA Traceability for the counts and every row.
  • Send only the dataset. An ePrescription carries only the HIQA EP patient dataset. See Data Minimisation.
  • Invent nothing. SNOMED CT, LOINC and UCUM codes are checked on tx.fhir.org; NMPC codes are checked in the NMPC Meds Catalogue (see Terminology). Where HIQA does not settle a question, the IG uses a clearly named placeholder and logs it in Open Issues.
  • Build on Europe. The prescription, dispense and medication profiles derive from HL7 Europe MPD 1.0.0, so an Irish ePrescription is also a valid European one.

How HIQA maps to this IG

HIQA EP IE MPD
Section 1: Patient Patient (ePrescription): the EP dataset only
1.6: Clinical information (allergies, weight, height) Allergy statement required on every prescription; AllergyIntolerance; body weight and body height
Section 2: Health practitioner Practitioner (IMC, PSI, NMBI, Dental Council), PractitionerRole, Organization (PSI RPB, GMS Panel), Location (GLN)
Sections 3–5: Prescription, medication, dosage MedicationRequest (ePrescription), Medication, grouped in an ePrescription Bundle
2.13: Signature, cross-border Signature Provenance, cross-border Bundle
Section 6: Dispensation MedicationDispense (eDispensation)
Element by element Logical model HIQAEPrescriptionLM

Rules enforced as invariants

Invariant Rule HIQA
ie-bnd-rx-1 A multi-item prescription shares one group identifier EP 3.1
ie-bnd-rx-2, ie-list-allergy-1, ie-bnd-rx-6 Every item references the allergy statement; it lists allergies or says why none are recorded; every listed allergy is in the Bundle EP 1.6.1, 1.6.2
ie-bnd-rx-3, ie-rx-age-1 The patient's age is recorded if under 12, or if the date of birth is not a full date EP 1.4.2
ie-bnd-rx-4 The prescriber has a telephone number EP 2.10, 2.10.1
ie-bnd-rx-5 Every item and allergy is about the one patient in the Bundle patient safety
ie-bnd-xb-1, ie-bnd-xb-2 A cross-border prescription gives a secure email and carries the prescriber's signature EP 2.10.2, 2.13
ie-rx-status-1 A status reason is given unless the item is active, completed or draft EP 3.5.2.2, 3.5.2.3
ie-rx-dosage-1 Structured dosage comes with dosage text EP 5.1, 5.2
ie-rx-subst-1 "Do not substitute" gives a reason EP 3.5.10.3
ie-rx-cd-1, ie-rx-cd-2, ie-rx-cd-3 Controlled drugs: quantity in words and figures; validity period; number of instalments EP 3.5.7.2, 3.5.9.1, 3.5.12
ie-md-status-1, ie-md-handover-1 A non-dispensation states the reason; a completed dispense records the hand-over time EP 6.3.2, 6.8
ie-pat-1, ie-pat-ppsn-1, ie-prac-psi-1, ie-loc-gln-1 Identifier formats: IHI, PPSN, PSI number, GLN EP 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 2.6.2, 2.11

The controlled-drug rules use the conservative readings recorded in open issue OI-027.

Prescribe and dispense

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    participant P as Prescriber
    participant N as National ePrescription service
    participant R as Pharmacist
    P->>P: Confirm allergy statement (EP 1.6.1/1.6.2)
    P->>N: ePrescription Bundle: Patient, items (shared group identifier),<br/>allergy statement, prescriber and facility
    R->>N: Retrieve prescription by group identifier
    alt Dispensed (in full, part, or an instalment)
        R->>N: MedicationDispense: completed, quantity, hand-over time
    else Not dispensed
        R->>N: MedicationDispense: declined or stopped, with the reason (ie-md-status-1)
    end
    N-->>P: Dispense records (repeats used = count of repeat dispenses)

The participants are roles, not real systems. The HIQA draft does not specify the national service's interface, so it is out of scope here.

Scenario examples

# Scenario Example
1 Acute adult prescription, dispensed Bundle · dispense
2 Child under 12: age and weight recorded Bundle
3 Repeat prescription: part fill, balance, first repeat Bundle · dispenses 1 2 3
4 Schedule 2 controlled drug, in instalments Bundle · instalment 1
5 Not dispensed: the pharmacist declines because of a recorded penicillin allergy Bundle · declined dispense
6 Cross-border (IE → EU) with the prescriber's signature Bundle
7 Dose given (IE-defined) MedicationAdministration
8 Dose not given, with the reason (IE-defined) MedicationAdministration
9 Medication statement (as-needed inhaler) MedicationStatement

Scenarios 7–9 are not HIQA EP scenarios; see Administration and Statements. All people, organisations and identifiers are fictional.