Medication note redaction is the removal of identifying data from a prescriber’s notes under UK GDPR Art. 9 and DPA 2018. anonym.plus does it on your device. The dosing detail stays; the patient is no longer named.
When this applies
A pharmacist wants to audit prescribing patterns. The notes name patients, dates, and a pharmacy, which must be hidden before the audit.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the note in anonym.plus on your machine.
- Local OCR reads any scanned page.
- It flags names, dates, and the pharmacy.
- Review each flag and keep the dosing lines.
- Replace each identifier with a label, or hide it.
- Save the clean note. The source stays local.
What you need to provide
- The note (PDF, DOCX, TXT, or scan).
- An operator: Replace, Redact, or Mask.
- Optional: a name map for re-linking.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | PERSON | Iris Walsh → [PATIENT_1] |
| Note date | DATE_TIME | Dated 03/05/2026 → [DATE] |
| Pharmacy | ORGANIZATION | Elm Pharmacy → [PHARMACY] |
| NHS number | NHS_NUMBER | NHS 509 170 1234 → [NHS_NO] |
| Phone | PHONE_NUMBER | +44 7700 900137 → [PHONE] |
| Record ID | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | MRN 50917 → [MRN] |
Compliance achieved
- Removes identifiers under UK GDPR Art. 9 & DPA 2018.
- Runs offline, so no cloud processor contract is required.
- Notes are kept safe with AES-256-GCM.
- Assessed per ICO Anonymisation Code and UK GDPR Recital 26.
Anonymise medication management notes offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
UK GDPR expects no residual clue that could re-identify the person. The tool clears named identifiers. A rare drug combination may still narrow the field, so review before sharing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep the drug names?
Yes. Drug names and doses are clinical, not identifiers. The tool leaves them in place so the audit still has the data it needs.
Is the pharmacy removed?
Yes. A named pharmacy is an identifier. The tool flags it so the patient cannot be traced through where they collect their prescription.
Does it upload anything?
No. The app runs on your own device. Nothing is sent away.