Guidelines for ATC classification and DDD assignment - WHOCC

It is left to the national users of the ATC system to classify combination products
based on the principles given in these guidelines. The guidelines are prepared in
order to facilitate this work and to ensure that different users of the ATC system
classify in a consistent way. If the content of these guidelines is not sufficient to
decide a classification of a specific combination, or if it is necessary to establish a
new ATC entry, such problems should be addressed to the WHO Centre in Oslo.
The Centre also runs regular training courses to assist those working on the system
at a national level.
The WHO International Working Group for Drug Statistics Methodology formally
approves all new ATC codes. The group has two annual meetings, normally in
March and October.
The steps in the approval procedure for new ATC codes are normally as follows:
- A standard letter confirming receipt of the request is returned from the Centre to
the applicant.
- If the new code is easy to assign, a preliminary ATC code assigned by the Centre
is returned to the applicant within 6-8 weeks, informing them that the ATC code
still has to be formally approved by the Working Group at the next meeting.
- For substances with more than one alternative classification and for substances,
which are difficult to classify into existing classifications, the requests are
discussed in the Working Group before assignment of a temporary ATC code.
The applicant receives this information within 6-8 weeks after receipt of the
request. After approval of the minutes of the Working Group meetings, the
decision concerning the respective ATC code is sent from the Centre to the
applicant.
- After approval of the minutes of the Working Group meeting the new ATC
codes approved at the meeting are published on the website www.whocc.no and
in the next issue of the publication WHO Drug Information. A deadline will then
be allowed for interested parties to comment or object to the decisions.
- If objections, justified on evidence submitted, are received, the ATC
classification will be discussed again at the following meeting of the Working
Group. If the decision is kept, then the decision is considered final after this
meeting. If a new decision is taken by the Working Group, notification of this
new ATC is published at our website www.whocc.no and in the next issue of the
publication WHO Drug Information. A deadline is then allowed for any
interested part to comment or object to the decision.
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