This page is part of the FHIR Specification (v1.1.0: STU 3 Ballot 1). The current version which supercedes this version is 5.0.0. For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions
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This is a frozen snapshot of the FHIR specification created for the purpose of balloting the GAO implementation Guide. It includes draft changes that may be part of the future DSTU 2.1 release but further change is expected. Readers should focus solely on the GAO implementation content, and FHIR DSTU 2 for other purposes.

Orders and Observations Work Group | Maturity Level: 1 | Compartments: Not linked to any defined compartments |
A homogeneous material with a definite composition.

This resource allows for a material to be represented. The resource can be used to represent either a kind of a substance - e.g. a formulation commonly used for treating patients, or it can be used to describe a particular package of a known substance (e.g. bottle, jar, packet).
The composition of the material can be specified in terms of a mix of other materials, including with precise amounts if required.

A medication is a substance that is packaged and used as an administered medication. The medication resource uses the substance resource to represent the actual ingredients of a medication.
This resource is referenced by CarePlan, Contract, Group, Medication, Order, Procedure, Specimen, SupplyDelivery and SupplyRequest

Structure
| Name | Flags | Card. | Type | Description & Constraints![]() |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | DomainResource | A homogeneous material with a definite composition | ||
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..* | Identifier | Unique identifier |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..* | CodeableConcept | What class/type of substance this is Substance Category Codes (Extensible) |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 1..1 | CodeableConcept | What substance this is Substance Code (Example) |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | string | Textual description of the substance, comments |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..* | BackboneElement | If this describes a specific package/container of the substance |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | Identifier | Identifier of the package/container |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | dateTime | When no longer valid to use |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | SimpleQuantity | Amount of substance in the package |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..* | BackboneElement | Composition information about the substance |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | Ratio | Optional amount (concentration) |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 1..1 | Reference(Substance) | A component of the substance |
Documentation for this format | ||||
UML Diagram
XML Template
<Substance xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir"><!-- from Resource: id, meta, implicitRules, and language --> <!-- from DomainResource: text, contained, extension, and modifierExtension --> <identifier><!-- 0..* Identifier Unique identifier --></identifier> <category><!-- 0..* CodeableConcept What class/type of substance this is --></category> <code><!-- 1..1 CodeableConcept What substance this is --></code> <description value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Textual description of the substance, comments --> <instance> <!-- 0..* If this describes a specific package/container of the substance --> <identifier><!-- 0..1 Identifier Identifier of the package/container --></identifier> <expiry value="[dateTime]"/><!-- 0..1 When no longer valid to use --> <quantity><!-- 0..1 Quantity(SimpleQuantity) Amount of substance in the package --></quantity> </instance> <ingredient> <!-- 0..* Composition information about the substance --> <quantity><!-- 0..1 Ratio Optional amount (concentration) --></quantity> <substance><!-- 1..1 Reference(Substance) A component of the substance --></substance> </ingredient> </Substance>
JSON Template
{
"resourceType" : "Substance",
// from Resource: id, meta, implicitRules, and language
// from DomainResource: text, contained, extension, and modifierExtension
"identifier" : [{ Identifier }], // Unique identifier
"category" : [{ CodeableConcept }], // What class/type of substance this is
"code" : { CodeableConcept }, // R! What substance this is
"description" : "<string>", // Textual description of the substance, comments
"instance" : [{ // If this describes a specific package/container of the substance
"identifier" : { Identifier }, // Identifier of the package/container
"expiry" : "<dateTime>", // When no longer valid to use
"quantity" : { Quantity(SimpleQuantity) } // Amount of substance in the package
}],
"ingredient" : [{ // Composition information about the substance
"quantity" : { Ratio }, // Optional amount (concentration)
"substance" : { Reference(Substance) } // R! A component of the substance
}]
}
Structure
| Name | Flags | Card. | Type | Description & Constraints![]() |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | DomainResource | A homogeneous material with a definite composition | ||
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..* | Identifier | Unique identifier |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..* | CodeableConcept | What class/type of substance this is Substance Category Codes (Extensible) |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 1..1 | CodeableConcept | What substance this is Substance Code (Example) |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | string | Textual description of the substance, comments |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..* | BackboneElement | If this describes a specific package/container of the substance |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | Identifier | Identifier of the package/container |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | dateTime | When no longer valid to use |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | SimpleQuantity | Amount of substance in the package |
![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..* | BackboneElement | Composition information about the substance |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 0..1 | Ratio | Optional amount (concentration) |
![]() ![]() ![]() | Σ | 1..1 | Reference(Substance) | A component of the substance |
Documentation for this format | ||||
XML Template
<Substance xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir"><!-- from Resource: id, meta, implicitRules, and language --> <!-- from DomainResource: text, contained, extension, and modifierExtension --> <identifier><!-- 0..* Identifier Unique identifier --></identifier> <category><!-- 0..* CodeableConcept What class/type of substance this is --></category> <code><!-- 1..1 CodeableConcept What substance this is --></code> <description value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Textual description of the substance, comments --> <instance> <!-- 0..* If this describes a specific package/container of the substance --> <identifier><!-- 0..1 Identifier Identifier of the package/container --></identifier> <expiry value="[dateTime]"/><!-- 0..1 When no longer valid to use --> <quantity><!-- 0..1 Quantity(SimpleQuantity) Amount of substance in the package --></quantity> </instance> <ingredient> <!-- 0..* Composition information about the substance --> <quantity><!-- 0..1 Ratio Optional amount (concentration) --></quantity> <substance><!-- 1..1 Reference(Substance) A component of the substance --></substance> </ingredient> </Substance>
JSON Template
{
"resourceType" : "Substance",
// from Resource: id, meta, implicitRules, and language
// from DomainResource: text, contained, extension, and modifierExtension
"identifier" : [{ Identifier }], // Unique identifier
"category" : [{ CodeableConcept }], // What class/type of substance this is
"code" : { CodeableConcept }, // R! What substance this is
"description" : "<string>", // Textual description of the substance, comments
"instance" : [{ // If this describes a specific package/container of the substance
"identifier" : { Identifier }, // Identifier of the package/container
"expiry" : "<dateTime>", // When no longer valid to use
"quantity" : { Quantity(SimpleQuantity) } // Amount of substance in the package
}],
"ingredient" : [{ // Composition information about the substance
"quantity" : { Ratio }, // Optional amount (concentration)
"substance" : { Reference(Substance) } // R! A component of the substance
}]
}
Alternate definitions: Schema/Schematron, Resource Profile (XML, JSON), Questionnaire

| Path | Definition | Type | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance.category | Category or classification of substance | Extensible | Substance Category Codes |
| Substance.code | Substance codes | Example | Substance Code |

Search parameters for this resource. The common parameters also apply. See Searching for more information about searching in REST, messaging, and services.
| Name | Type | Description | Paths |
| category | token | The category of the substance | Substance.category |
| code | token | The code of the substance | Substance.code |
| container-identifier | token | Identifier of the package/container | Substance.instance.identifier |
| expiry | date | Expiry date of package or container of substance | Substance.instance.expiry |
| identifier | token | Unique identifier for the substance | Substance.identifier |
| quantity | quantity | Amount of substance in the package | Substance.instance.quantity |
| substance | reference | A component of the substance | Substance.ingredient.substance (Substance) |