Z79

Long term (current) drug therapy

FY2027Chapter 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services/Z77–Z99 Persons with potential health hazards related to family and personal history and certain conditions influencing health status

Non-billable headerNot valid on its own. Use one of the more specific codes under it.

Code also
Excludes2

Z79 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code category for long term (current) drug therapy. Report a more specific code from it instead. It is part of the FY2027 code set, effective October 1, 2026. The more specific codes under it are Z79.0 Long term (current) use of anticoagulants and antithrombotics/antiplatelets, Z79.1 Long term (current) use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID), Z79.2 Long term (current) use of antibiotics, Z79.3 Long term (current) use of hormonal contraceptives and 4 more. Its coding notes include a Code also instruction and 2 Excludes2 entries.

Code also

Two codes may be needed to describe the condition. This note gives no sequencing order.

This code

any therapeutic drug level monitoring (Z51.81)

Also from chapter/block level (1 note)

Inherited from Z77–Z99 Persons with potential health hazards related to family and personal history and certain conditions influencing health status

any follow-up examination (Z08-Z09)

Excludes2

Not included here. Both codes may be reported if the patient has both conditions.

This code

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

Includes

Further defines or gives examples of the content of the category.

This code

long term (current) drug use for prophylactic purposes

Notes

Also from chapter/block level (3 notes)

Inherited from Chapter 21 Factors influencing health status and contact with health services

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.

More specific codes under Z79 8