Drug induced constipation

This code signifies constipation directly caused by the administration of a medication. It describes a secondary effect where a drug's pharmacological action or side effect profile leads to infrequent bowel movements, hard stools, or difficulty passing stool. This condition is distinct from primary constipation or constipation due to other underlying medical conditions.

Assign this code when documentation clearly links the patient's constipation to a specific drug or class of drugs. This typically occurs when a patient develops new-onset constipation or experiences worsening of existing constipation after starting a new medication or increasing a dose. Supporting documentation includes medication lists, physician notes explicitly stating "drug-induced constipation," and a clear temporal relationship between drug initiation and symptom onset.

• Always identify the specific drug causing the constipation and code it as an adverse effect (T36-T50 with a 5th or 6th character of 5 for adverse effect).
• Do not use this code for constipation that existed prior to drug therapy or for constipation due to other medical conditions, even if the patient is on medications.
• Consider sequencing: the adverse effect code for the drug typically precedes this code.