# Shortening rules for lengthy descriptions of drug products **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Tags:** information\ **Created:** [January 29, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://forums.snomed.org/t/shortening-rules-for-lengthy-descriptions-of-drug-products/953 "2026-01-29T18:40:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lparisien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba9def/32.png) [@lparisien](https://forums.snomed.org/u/lparisien)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://forums.snomed.org/t/shortening-rules-for-lengthy-descriptions-of-drug-products/953/1 "2026-01-29T18:40:45Z")
If you have used shortening rules to decrease the length of your drug product descriptions, would you share those with the Canadian NRC? I am also interested in any proposal or options for decreasing rules at the implementation sites as well, knowing that not one 1 option would fit all information system’s fields length. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![sabbott](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex014/user_avatar/forums.snomed.org/sabbott/32/248_2.png) [@sabbott](https://forums.snomed.org/u/sabbott)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 4:33pm UTC](https://forums.snomed.org/t/shortening-rules-for-lengthy-descriptions-of-drug-products/953/2 "2026-02-02T16:33:14Z")
The UK does not normally shorten terms for medicines in SNOMED CT. We do have an abbreviation guide for creation of ‘label names’ (not for screen display, picking lists etc). See Appendix XI (page 134) of the dm+d Editorial Policy: [https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2025-03/Editorial%20Policy%20R2%20v4.1%20March%202025\_0.docx](https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2025-03/Editorial%20Policy%20R2%20v4.1%20March%202025_0.docx) [NHS dictionary of medicines and devices (dm+d) | NHSBSA](https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pharmacies-gp-practices-and-appliance-contractors/nhs-dictionary-medicines-and-devices-dmd)