Central Drug Database

Overview

The Central Drug Database is the authoritative source for all medications available in SehaFile's prescription system. When doctors write prescriptions, they select from this centralized catalog which ensures consistency across all clinics. Platform admins with taxonomy.manage permission can add new drugs, update existing entries, issue recalls for dangerous medications, perform bulk imports from pharmaceutical databases, and configure drug interaction warnings.

Viewing the Drug Catalog

1. Navigate to Taxonomy > Drugs from the sidebar. The page displays a searchable, paginated table of all drugs.
2. Table columns: Trade Name (AR), Trade Name (EN), Generic Name, Form, Strength, Manufacturer, ATC Code, Status (active/recalled), and Controlled flag.
3. Search and filter:
   • Search by trade name, generic name, or manufacturer
   • Filter by form (tablet, capsule, injection, syrup, cream, etc.)
   • Filter by manufacturer
   • Filter by status (active, recalled)

Adding a New Drug

1. Click "Add Drug" at the top of the Drugs page.
2. Fill in the drug details:
   • Trade Name (Arabic) — Required. The commercial brand name
   • Trade Name (English) — Optional
   • Generic Name (Arabic/English) — The active ingredient name
   • Form — Select: tablet, capsule, injection, syrup, cream, ointment, drops, inhaler, suppository, etc.
   • Strength — Dosage strength (e.g., "500mg", "250mg/5ml")
   • Manufacturer — Pharmaceutical company name
   • ATC Code — WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification code
   • Controlled Substance — Toggle if this is a scheduled/controlled drug
   • Requires Special Prescription — Toggle for drugs needing special prescription forms
   • Interaction Warnings — List of known drug interactions
   • Contraindications — List of conditions where this drug should not be used
3. Click "Save" — The drug is immediately available in the prescription system for all clinics.

Issuing a Drug Recall

1. Find the drug in the catalog using search.
2. Click "Recall" on the drug's row or detail page.
3. Confirm the recall — The drug is marked as "recalled" and:
   • It no longer appears in the prescription drug selector for doctors
   • Existing prescriptions containing this drug show a recall warning
   • All clinics receive a notification about the recall

Bulk Import

1. Click "Bulk Import" at the top of the Drugs page.
2. Prepare your import file — JSON array format with fields: trade_name_ar, trade_name_en, generic_name_ar, generic_name_en, form, strength, manufacturer, atc_code, is_controlled.
3. Upload and review — The system validates the data and shows a preview of what will be imported, flagging any duplicates or errors.
4. Confirm import — Drugs are added to the catalog. Duplicates (matching trade_name_ar + strength + manufacturer) are skipped.

Drug Interaction Check

1. Navigate to Taxonomy > Drugs > Interaction Check.
2. Select multiple drugs by checking their boxes in the drug list or searching and adding them.
3. Click "Check Interactions" — The system displays any known interactions between the selected drugs, with severity levels (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated).

Drug Prescription Statistics

1. Click on any drug to view its detail page.
2. Navigate to "Prescription Stats" tab — Shows how frequently this drug is prescribed across the platform, by which specialities, and in which dosage patterns.
3. Market share analytics — Navigate to Analytics > Drugs > Market Share to see which drugs and manufacturers dominate prescription volumes.

FAQ

Can clinics add their own drugs?

No. The drug catalog is centrally managed by platform admins. Clinics select from the shared catalog when writing prescriptions. This ensures medication data consistency and safety across the platform.

How are drug interactions determined?

Interactions are configured manually in the drug record's "interaction_warnings" field. The platform cross-references this data when multiple drugs are prescribed together.

What file format is needed for bulk import?

JSON array format. Each drug object must include at minimum: trade_name_ar, form, and strength. All other fields are optional but recommended for completeness.