middeltype

Middeltype is a term used in Dutch-language information systems to label the fundamental kind of a therapeutic agent or medicament. It denotes the type of substance or intervention at the core of a product, rather than its brand name, dosage form, or clinical use. The concept helps organize and compare medicines and related agents across records, formularies, and reporting systems.

In practice, middeltype is applied within health informatics and pharmacovigilance to categorize products by their basic nature. Common categories include chemical substances (small-molecule drugs), biological products (such as proteins and monoclonal antibodies), vaccines, and herbal or traditional preparations. Some systems also include other therapeutic agents like homeopathic remedies or gene-based therapies under distinct subtypes. The exact set of categories can vary by country, coding standard, or institutional practice.

The middeltype classification supports data interoperability by providing a stable, high-level attribute that remains relatively constant across different product presentations. It is often used in conjunction with other fields such as the active ingredient, brand name, dosage form, route of administration, and therapeutic indication. While related concepts exist in international coding systems—such as drug classes or therapeutic categories—the term middeltype is most commonly encountered in Dutch-language contexts and is not universally standardized.

See also: drug classification, therapeutic category, pharmacovigilance data fields, dosage form, active ingredient.