Clinical Decision Support Tool
Clinical Transparency
& Data Integrity Policy
This platform is built for licensed acupuncture and TCM practitioners. Every data source, trust tier, and validation status is documented here so clinicians can make informed decisions about the tool’s evidence base.
Trust Hierarchy & Data Classification
Every herb and formula in the system carries a visible Trust Tier badge. Practitioners should interpret tier status before acting on any result.
All 164 herbs and 121 formulas currently in the system are Gold Tier. Identity, energetics, and formula compositions are mapped directly to the NCCAOM board-standard library and verified against Bensky's Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies.
Herbs
164
Formulas
121
Source
NCCAOM / Bensky
Integration for the TCMBank research dataset is fully prepared in the codebase. This tier will activate automatically upon receipt of the TCMBank data export file. No code changes are required — the data pipeline is ready.
Status
Awaiting export
Source
TCMBank / TCMID
Code
Ready
There are currently 30 permanent Amber warnings. These are intentional safety flags — not data gaps — for controlled substances (e.g. cinnabar, realgar), fresh juice preparations (ginger juice, bamboo juice), and obscure animal products not available as standard dried clinical herbs. Practitioners must verify these manually before prescribing.
Count
30
Type
Intentional flags
Action
Manual review
Interaction Logic & API Integrations
The interaction engine uses a Worst-Case Wins severity model — when multiple interactions are present, the highest severity always surfaces first. Data sources are explicitly attributed on every result.
Drug Name Normalization
rxnav.nlm.nih.gov/REST
NIH RxNorm API
Resolves brand names to ingredient-level RxCUIs at the point of search. Coumadin → Warfarin (11289), Glucophage → Metformin (6809), Norvasc → Amlodipine (214354). Ensures interaction lookups match regardless of whether a practitioner enters brand or generic names.
Drug-Drug Interactions
api.fda.gov/drug/label.json
US FDA — openFDA Drug Labels
Queries official FDA-approved drug label text for known interactions between Western medications. When two or more drugs are entered, the system automatically checks for combinations flagged in the label's drug_interactions field. Severity defaults to Moderate — FDA labels do not provide structured severity ratings. Results are clearly attributed as FDA Drug Labels (openFDA) in the UI.
Herb-Drug Interactions
Internal — mockInteractions.json
Clinical Audit Baseline
Currently using a verified mock-data baseline of 50 herb-drug interactions across 7 drug categories. A manual verification pathway is underway using the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) About Herbs database. Active outreach is in progress for a formal data partnership with the MSK Integrative Medicine Service. IMgateway API (University of Sydney) is a secondary candidate. The mock data disclaimer remains active on all herb-drug results until the 50-case clinical audit is completed and signed off by the Clinical Lead.
Practitioner Sovereignty
This tool is a Clinical Decision Support (CDS) system — not a diagnostic replacement. Final therapeutic authority always rests with the licensed professional.
Modification Toggle
Practitioners can exclude individual herbs from a formula and recalculate interaction severity in real time. The excluded herb remains visible but dimmed — never hidden.
Persistent Disclaimer
A clinical disclaimer is present on all result views and cannot be dismissed. It is a permanent architectural feature, not an optional notice.
Live Data Matrix
| Data Function | Source Authority | Status | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Identification | NIH RxNorm | Live | Free |
| Drug-Drug Safety | US FDA (openFDA) | Live | Free |
| Herb-Drug Safety | Clinical Audit Baseline | Validation | N/A |
| Herb/Formula Identity | NCCAOM Gold Library | Live | Included |
| Advanced Research | TCMBank (Silver Tier) | Pending | TBD |
System Status (v3.3.0)
Production URL
formulens.co
Herb Library
164 Gold-tier NCCAOM verified herbs
Formula Library
121 Gold-tier board exam formulas
Unresolved Warnings
30 permanent amber (intentional flags)
Clinical Audit
Framework defined in SPEC-004 — execution pending
Clinical Validation Pending
Active on herb-drug results until audit complete