WHO-DD (World Health Organization Drug Dictionary) is a standardized medical terminology used to classify and code drug products in pharmacovigilance and other medical research. It is developed and maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO-DD is a hierarchical system of coding, with each drug product assigned a unique code number. The terms are organized into levels, with the higher levels being broader and more general, and the lower levels being more specific. The lowest level of terms, known as Defined Daily Dose (DDD), describe the average maintenance dose of a drug and are used to compare drug use between different populations.
WHO-DD is used by regulatory authorities and healthcare professionals around the world as a standard for coding and reporting drug products in pharmacovigilance and other types of medical research. It is also used by the pharmaceutical industry to prepare regulatory submissions and to analyze drug utilization data from different populations.
The use of WHO-DD helps to ensure consistency and accuracy in the classification and reporting of drug products across different studies and regulatory agencies. It also helps to facilitate the exchange of drug utilization data and safety information between regulatory authorities, healthcare professionals, and the pharmaceutical industry.