From the Research
For a multivitamin refill, the most appropriate ICD-10 diagnosis code would be Z79.899, which represents "Other long term (current) drug therapy". This code is used when a patient is on long-term medication that requires ongoing refills but doesn't have a specific disease being treated. If the multivitamin is being prescribed for a specific nutritional deficiency, you should instead use the code for that deficiency, such as E56.9 for "Vitamin deficiency, unspecified" 1. Alternatively, if the patient has a documented condition requiring vitamin supplementation, like malabsorption (K90.9) or a specific vitamin deficiency like vitamin D deficiency (E55.9), you should code for that underlying condition.
When documenting, it's helpful to note the reason for the multivitamin prescription in the patient's chart to support medical necessity for insurance purposes, even though multivitamins are often available over-the-counter. Some studies suggest that multivitamin supplements can improve micronutrient intakes and support optimal human health, especially in certain subpopulations such as pregnant women and older adults 2. However, the evidence is insufficient to determine the balance of benefits and harms of supplementation with multivitamins for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer 1.
Key points to consider when coding for multivitamin refills include:
- Using Z79.899 for long-term medication without a specific disease being treated
- Coding for specific nutritional deficiencies or underlying conditions requiring vitamin supplementation
- Documenting the reason for the multivitamin prescription to support medical necessity
- Being aware of the limited evidence on the benefits and harms of multivitamin supplementation for disease prevention 1, 2.