UMC introduces new software certification program for WHO Drug Dictionary Enhanced

Uppsala Monitoring Centre, a Collaborating Centre to the World Health Organisation and the global intelligence network for benefits and risk in medicinal products, today officially launches a software certification program that helps software developers integrate the WHO Drug Dictionary Enhanced quickly and easily.

UMC's new certification offers a set of test cases, with associated acceptance criteria, to indicate whether implementation processes are accurate. It also offers software developers free training and a software development kit, including documentation and example programs. Software products that currently include WHO-DD coding implementations can immediately apply for certification using the use cases and test cases provided to determine when they are ready for the certification review. A number of developers have already signed up for the program, and one vendor product, Central Coding from Phase Forward, has already achieved certification. "The value of coding medical product information correctly in pharmacovigilance and clinical trials cannot be overstated in today's fast moving drug development environment, with outsourcing and mergers being commonplace. As the provider of the global de-facto standard resource for this encoding, UMC recognizes that a solution for coding and analysis is only as good as the software environment in which it is used." says Ola Strandberg, Vendor Liaison Officer at UMC. Companies that enroll in the program can use its templates and examples as blueprints for developing solutions that fulfill user requirements. Test cases and associated "known input/known output" data verify whether solutions have been developed correctly. The software development kit and free training make it easy for IT integrators to realize desired solutions. "Software packages that make effective use of the WHO Drug Dictionary Enhanced have a distinct competitive advantage. In return for demonstrating to us that the software package implements the requirements of the certification, we publicize certified software packages on our web site and offer software vendors the opportunity to interact with other Drug Dictionary users. Features of the WHO Drug Dictionary Enhanced are constantly evolving, and by choosing a certified software package, users are guaranteed that the software works correctly and utilizes the Dictionary's features fully," adds Strandberg. UMC is demonstrating the features of the new certification program at the Drug Information Association's 46th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, that runs from June 13 to June 17. The DIA Annual Meeting is the premier event for professionals involved in the discovery, development, and lifecycle management of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and related products.