Prescription de-identification is the removal of patient IDs from a script. It meets DPA 2018 and the NHS Code of Confidentiality. anonym.plus does this on your own device. The medicine and the dose stay; the name goes.
When this applies
A script names the patient, the prescriber, and the pharmacy. To reuse it for an audit or a teaching set, you must clear those IDs first.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the file (PDF, DOCX, or scan) in anonym.plus on your device.
- Local OCR reads scanned scripts, so printed text is caught too.
- It flags patient and prescriber names, dates, and contacts.
- Check the flags; the medicine name is not an ID and stays.
- Swap each ID for a label, or black it out.
- Save the clean copy. The original never leaves your machine.
What you need to provide
- The script (PDF, DOCX, TXT, or image scan).
- An operator: Replace, Redact, or Mask.
- Optional allow-list to keep your formulary terms.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | Priya Sharma → [PATIENT] |
| Names | PERSON | Dr. Patel → [PRESCRIBER] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | issued 04/12/2026 → [DATE] |
| Record IDs | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | Rx 55812 → [RX_ID] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | +44 151 555 0190 → [PHONE] |
| Identifiers | NHS_NUMBER | 485 777 3456 → [NHS_NUMBER] |
Compliance achieved
- Meets DPA 2018 & NHS Code of Confidentiality for reuse.
- Runs offline; no cloud processor contract is needed.
- Working files are protected with AES-256-GCM.
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Limitations & cautions
The medicine name and dose are not patient IDs and stay in place. A rare compound for a known person could still hint at identity. Review unusual cases and keep the prescriber's details out if you share widely.
Frequently asked questions
Is the medicine name removed?
No. A drug name is not personal data under DPA 2018, so it stays. Only IDs such as the patient name, the date, and the script number are removed, which keeps the file useful.
Does this require a data-sharing agreement?
No. anonym.plus runs on your own device with no cloud step. No outside party touches the data, so no processor agreement is needed.
Can I clean a stack of scripts at once?
Yes. Point anonym.plus at a folder and it works through each file on your device.