Z79UpcomingCategory · further specificity required

Long term (current) drug therapy

Code-level instructions

Code also

any therapeutic drug level monitoring (Z51.81)

Z77-Z99 · Inherited instructions

Code also

any follow-up examination (Z08-Z09)

Excludes 2 · 2

Z79

Excludes 2

drug abuse and dependence (F11-F19)
drug use complicating pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (O99.32-)

More specific codes

Z79.0Long term (current) use of anticoagulants and antithrombotics/antiplatelets Z79.1Long term (current) use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID)Z79.2Long term (current) use of antibiotics Z79.3Long term (current) use of hormonal contraceptives Z79.4Long term (current) use of insulin Z79.5Long term (current) use of steroids Z79.6Long term (current) use of immunomodulators and immunosuppressants Z79.8Other long term (current) drug therapy

Claims & coverage

When ICD-10-CM is required

For US diagnosis claims covered by HIPAA, ICD-10-CM is required from October 1, 2015.

Use the service date for outpatient/professional claims and the discharge date for hospital inpatient claims. Earlier encounters use ICD-9-CM; each individual code must also be valid for the applicable date.

Official coding guidelines → · CMS ↗

First observed · 2015-10-01

Code history

Latest recorded change · FY2021

ChangedUnchanged

FY2021

Effective from 2020-10-01

Code-level rules changed

Long term (current) drug therapy

Category — select a more specific code

CDC/NCHS · FY2021

All editions (19)

All editions	Effective from	Code history
FY2016	2015-10-01	First observed
FY2017	2016-10-01	Code-level rules changed
FY2018	2017-10-01	No tabular change
FY2019	2018-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020	2019-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020 · April	2020-04-01	No tabular change
FY2021	2020-10-01	Code-level rules changed
FY2021 · 01-01	2021-01-01	No tabular change
FY2022	2021-10-01	No tabular change
FY2022 · 04-01	2022-04-01	No tabular change
FY2023	2022-10-01	No tabular change
FY2023 · 04-01	2023-04-01	No tabular change
FY2024	2023-10-01	No tabular change
FY2024 · 04-01	2024-04-01	No tabular change
FY2025	2024-10-01	No tabular change
FY2025 · 04-01	2025-04-01	No tabular change
FY2026	2025-10-01	No tabular change
FY2026 · April	2026-04-01	No tabular change
FY2027	2026-10-01	No tabular change

Code-level instructions

Includes

long term (current) drug use for prophylactic purposes

Excludes 2

drug abuse and dependence (F11-F19)
drug use complicating pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (O99.32-)

Code also

any therapeutic drug level monitoring (Z51.81)

Inherited instructions

Chapters 21 · Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99)

Note

Z codes represent reasons for encounters. A corresponding procedure code must accompany a Z code if a procedure is performed. Categories Z00-Z99 are provided for occasions when circumstances other than a disease, injury or external cause classifiable to categories A00-Y89 are recorded as 'diagnoses' or 'problems'. This can arise in two main ways:
(a) When a person who may or may not be sick encounters the health services for some specific purpose, such as to receive limited care or service for a current condition, to donate an organ or tissue, to receive prophylactic vaccination (immunization), or to discuss a problem which is in itself not a disease or injury.
(b) When some circumstance or problem is present which influences the person's health status but is not in itself a current illness or injury.

Z77-Z99 · Persons with potential health hazards related to family and personal history and certain conditions influencing health status (Z77-Z99)

Code also

any follow-up examination (Z08-Z09)

More specific codes

Z79.0Long term (current) use of anticoagulants and antithrombotics/antiplateletsCategory · further specificity required Z79.1Long term (current) use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID)Billable / specific Z79.2Long term (current) use of antibioticsBillable / specific Z79.3Long term (current) use of hormonal contraceptivesBillable / specific Z79.4Long term (current) use of insulinBillable / specific Z79.5Long term (current) use of steroidsCategory · further specificity required Z79.6Long term (current) use of immunomodulators and immunosuppressantsCategory · further specificity required Z79.8Other long term (current) drug therapyCategory · further specificity required

Related codes

Official titles and instructions are preserved in their source language. Official sources ↗

References from other codes (2)

Z51.81 · Encounter for therapeutic drug level monitoring

Code also · any long-term (current) drug therapy (Z79.-)

Z92.2 · Personal history of drug therapy

Excludes 2 · long term (current) drug therapy (Z79.-)