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Primary Care Coding Alert

ICD-10:

Watch for Product, Addiction Clues for Nicotine Dependence Coding

Published on Tue Jan 10, 2012

Choices expand from 305.1 to F17.2-- beginning Oct. 1, 2013.When the family physician sees a patient who is nicotine dependent (to the detriment of the patient's health or social functioning), you have one diagnosis choice: 305.1 (Nondependent abuse of drugs; tobacco use disorder). Once ICD-10 goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2013, however, you'll modify your tobacco use disorder coding in several ways. You'll start with code series F17.2 (Nicotine dependence). Because specificity is a key factor of ICD-10, check the physician's documentation for more details about the patient's situation. The fifth digit in the F17.2 series indicates the tobacco product ((0= unspecified; 1 = cigarettes; 2 = chewing tobacco; and 9 = other tobacco products)The sixth digit indicates status of the patient's dependence (0= uncomplicated; 1= in remission; 3=with withdrawal; 8= with other nicotine-induced disorders; 9= with unspecified nicotine-induced disorders). Caution: Several entries in the ICD-10 index have back-references [...]
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