# Z79.899 other long term (current) drug therapy appropriate coding



## reddaway@sbcglobal.net (Jul 2, 2019)

In an outpatient behavioral health setting when a provider prescribes medication long term to treat a chronic mental illness should Z79.899 be coded in addition to the diagnosis code(s)?   i.e.  ADHD and Adderall prescribed long term.   Should both ADHD and Z79.899 be coded and put on claim?   I have read the guidelines in ICD-10 CM code book and it's still not absolutely clear to me.  

Thanks in advance for any insight you can give me.


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## reddaway@sbcglobal.net (Jul 2, 2019)

Put another way,   should Z79.899 be a supporting/secondary diagnosis to primary condition the med is being prescribed long term for?


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## dalanicks@aol.com (Jul 3, 2019)

hi,  ,  yes you need the underlying condition


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## reddaway@sbcglobal.net (Jul 3, 2019)

dalanicks@aol.com said:


> hi,  ,  yes you need the underlying condition


 
So Z79.899 should be coded at each visit correct?


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## trarut (Jul 3, 2019)

I would code Z79.899 once the patient is documented to have actually started the medication, even though it's not indicated as a "code also".  Using the code helps to tell the whole story of that encounter.


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## reddaway@sbcglobal.net (Jul 3, 2019)

That's what I thought but needed to make sure. Thank you.


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## trarut (Jul 3, 2019)

My pleasure


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