HL7 RSP_Z88 (Dispense Information Response) | Integration Soup HL7 Reference Guide

HL7 RSP_Z88 Dispense Information Response

A focused pharmacy response for dispense information, usually narrower than a full comprehensive pharmacy history.

HL7 message structure RSP_Z88 groups and segments from HL7 v2.5.1 Hide structure

These are the generated groups and segments for the version selected at the top of the page. The article explains the workflow, and this panel follows the chosen HL7 version.

Message Structure

Segment	Name	Required	Repeatable
MSH	Message Header	Yes	No
SFT	Software Segment	No	Yes
MSA	Message Acknowledgment	Yes	No
ERR	Error	No	No
QAK	Query Acknowledgment	Yes	No
QPD	Query Parameter Definition	Yes	No
RCP	Response Control Parameter	Yes	No
RSP_Z88.QUERY_RESPONSE	Query Response group	Yes	Yes
RSP_Z88.PATIENT	Patient group	No	No
PID	Patient Identification	Yes	No
PD1	Patient Additional Demographic	No	No
NTE	Notes and Comments	No	Yes
RSP_Z88.ALLERGY	Allergy group	No	No
AL1	Patient Allergy Information	Yes	Yes
RSP_Z88.VISIT	Visit group	No	No
PV1	Patient Visit	Yes	No
PV2	Patient Visit - Additional Information	No	No
RSP_Z88.COMMON_ORDER	Common Order group	Yes	Yes
ORC	Common Order	Yes	No
RSP_Z88.TIMING	Timing group	No	Yes
TQ1	Timing/Quantity	Yes	No
TQ2	Timing/Quantity Relationship	No	Yes
RSP_Z88.ORDER_DETAIL	Order Detail group	No	No
RXO	Pharmacy/Treatment Order	Yes	No
NTE	Notes and Comments	No	Yes
RXR	Pharmacy/Treatment Route	Yes	Yes
RSP_Z88.COMPONENT	Component group	No	No
RXC	Pharmacy/Treatment Component Order	Yes	Yes
NTE	Notes and Comments	No	Yes
RSP_Z88.ORDER_ENCODED	Order Encoded group	No	No
RXE	Pharmacy/Treatment Encoded Order	Yes	No
RSP_Z88.TIMING_ENCODED	Timing Encoded group	No	Yes
TQ1	Timing/Quantity	Yes	No
TQ2	Timing/Quantity Relationship	No	Yes
RXR	Pharmacy/Treatment Route	Yes	Yes
RXC	Pharmacy/Treatment Component Order	No	Yes
RXD	Pharmacy/Treatment Dispense	Yes	No
RXR	Pharmacy/Treatment Route	Yes	Yes
RXC	Pharmacy/Treatment Component Order	No	Yes
RSP_Z88.OBSERVATION	Observation group	Yes	Yes
OBX	Observation/Result	No	No
NTE	Notes and Comments	No	Yes
DSC	Continuation Pointer	Yes	No

RSP_Z88 returns dispense information in response to a pharmacy query. It looks close to RSP_Z82, but the emphasis is less "history over a range" and more "dispense information for the query that was asked." The structure still has enough room for patient, allergy, order, encoded order, actual dispense, route, component, and observation details.

Because this is a response, the top of the message matters as much as the pharmacy payload. MSA acknowledges the query message, QAK reports the query outcome, and QPD echoes the exact request.

A small RSP Z88 example

MSH|^~\&|PHARM|CITYHOSP|MEDREC|CITYHOSP|20260718105000||RSP^Z88^RSP_Z88|RSPZ880001|P|2.5.1 MSA|AA|QBPZ870001 QAK|QDISPINFO001|OK|Z87^Dispense Information^HL7nnn|1|1|0 QPD|Z87^Dispense Information^HL7nnn|QDISPINFO001|RX998877^PHARM RCP|I|1^RD PID|1||123456^^^CITYHOSP^MR||Smith^Jane^Anne^^Ms^^L||19800314|F AL1|1||PEN^Penicillin^L|MO^Moderate^HL70128 ORC|RE|MED448811^EHR|RX998877^PHARM RXO|AMOX500^Amoxicillin 500 mg capsule^L|1|CAP^capsule^UCUM|TID^Three times daily^HL70335 RXR|PO^Oral^HL70162 RXD|1|AMOX500^Amoxicillin 500 mg capsule^L|20260715124000|30|CAP^capsule^UCUM|RX998877^PHARM OBX|1|ST|DISPNOTE^Dispense note^L||Dispensed after pharmacist review||||||F DSC|CONT-Z88-001|I

What systems do with it

The sender is usually the pharmacy system that owns the dispense record. The receiver might be an EHR medication viewer, an audit tool, a charge-review process, or an integration engine filling in details for a downstream workflow.

When allergies or visit information are returned, treat them as context for the dispense, not as a complete patient summary. The dispense itself is still anchored by ORC and RXD.

How to read the structure

The query-response group can include patient context, an optional allergy/visit branch, and one or more common-order groups. The common-order group can carry the requested order, encoded order, dispense, route, component, and observation information.

The local imported structure marks DSC as required. That is unusual enough to document in the interface profile. If your partner sends no continuation pointer, decide whether an empty DSC is valid or whether the profile should be corrected.

Implementation traps

Do not use the presence of an RXD segment as proof that the dispense is billable, active, or administered. Dispense status, quantity, return/waste workflows, and charge rules still need explicit handling.

Also avoid treating AL1 as a medication-allergy master update. In this response it is contextual. If the receiver updates the patient allergy list from it, that behavior needs a separate safety rule.

Reference notes

HL7 identifies event Z88 as Dispense Information (Response). The local v2.5.1 structure contains MSH, SFT, MSA, ERR, QAK, QPD, RCP, pharmacy query-response groups, and required DSC. See HL7 Europe event Z88.