First Databank UK

What First Databank UK does

First Databank UK Limited (FDB) is a UK-based provider of clinical drug knowledge and medicines optimisation software, headquartered in Exeter and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hearst Health (part of Hearst Corporation). Founded in 1983, the company builds and maintains curated drug databases and clinical decision support engines used by clinicians across NHS primary care, acute hospitals, community pharmacies, mental health services and out-of-hours settings. Its core product, FDB Multilex, is the UK's most widely used drug database and e-prescribing decision support solution, deployed at over 10,000 sites and integrated into major clinical systems including TPP SystmOne and InterSystems TrakCare.

The company's product portfolio spans four core solutions: FDB Multilex (drug database and point-of-prescribing decision support), FDB OptimiseRx (patient-specific medicines optimisation, credited with over £500 million in cumulative NHS savings), FDB CoordinateRx (strategic medicines management for NHS Integrated Care Boards), and FDB AnalyseRx (population-level proactive medicines optimisation). In 2025 FDB extended the platform with Multilex in the Cloud (a cloud-hosted deployment option), the Cumulative Dose Check Service for medication safety monitoring, and integration with the Medicus GP clinical system.

FDB monetises primarily through enterprise licensing and SaaS subscriptions to NHS organisations and OEM partnerships with clinical system vendors who embed its drug knowledge into their software. Customers are concentrated in the UK public healthcare sector, with deployment in every NHS Integrated Care System. The company sells via a direct enterprise field sales motion supported by content marketing, case studies, and participation in NHS-focused industry events such as the HSJ Medicines Forum.

Name

First Databank UK

Legal name

First Databank UK Limited

Website

https://fdbhealth.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

First Databank UK is a Hearst Health subsidiary that provides drug databases and clinical decision support software to the NHS, with its Multilex platform deployed across over 10,000 UK healthcare sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Decision Support Software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)

akta.pro primary industry

Utilization Management & Prior Authorization Analytics (HLACAHAE)

Keywords

• Drug database solutions
• Clinical decision support
• Medicines optimisation
• E-prescribing software
• NHS healthcare technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Clinical Decision Support Licensing: Licensing of FDB Multilex drug database and clinical decision support solutions to NHS trusts, hospitals, GP practices, community pharmacies, and clinical system vendors. Solutions are integrated into electronic prescribing, dispensing, and medication administration systems. Revenue is generated through licensing agreements with healthcare organisations and clinical software providers.
2. Software as a Service Solutions: Cloud-based delivery of medicines optimisation solutions (OptimiseRx, CoordinateRx, AnalyseRx) to NHS ICBs and healthcare providers, providing patient-specific medicines optimisation and population health analytics.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

First Databank UK (FDB) provides clinical drug knowledge databases and prescribing decision support software to UK healthcare providers. Its core offerings include FDB Multilex, a drug database used across more than 10,000 NHS sites, complemented by patient-specific medicines optimisation (OptimiseRx), strategic medicines management for NHS Integrated Care Boards (CoordinateRx), and population-level proactive medicines optimisation (AnalyseRx), all integrated into NHS electronic prescribing, dispensing, and clinical systems.

Product overview

FDB (First Databank UK) offers a portfolio of medicines optimisation and prescribing decision support solutions. The core product is FDB Multilex, the UK's leading drug database and e-prescribing decision support solution used by over 10,000 sites. This is complemented by FDB OptimiseRx (patient-specific medicines optimisation at point of care that has saved the NHS over £500 million), FDB CoordinateRx (strategic medicines management for NHS ICBs), and FDB AnalyseRx (population-level proactive medicines optimisation). The company also offers cloud deployment options via Multilex in the Cloud. Solutions are integrated into clinical systems including e-prescribing, dispensing, drug formulary management, medication safety, and interoperability applications across acute care, primary care, community pharmacy, mental health, and out-of-hours settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FDB Multilex®: The UK's most widely used drug database and e-prescribing decision support solution.
• FDB OptimiseRx®
• FDB CoordinateRx™
• FDB AnalyseRx®

Products and services

• FDB Multilex The UK's most widely used drug database and e-prescribing clinical decision support solution, providing drug dosing, interactions, formulary checks and decision support at the point of prescribing across primary care, secondary care, community pharmacy, and mental health settings. Used by over 10,000 sites.
• FDB OptimiseRx Patient-specific medicines optimisation solution delivering cost savings while improving quality of prescribing at the point of care. Has helped the NHS save over £500 million to date.
• FDB CoordinateRx Solution tailored for NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to strategically control all aspects of medicines optimisation across their region, supporting population-level formulary and budget management.
• FDB AnalyseRx Solution enabling proactive, ongoing medicines optimisation across a patient population, identifying and actioning medicines optimisation opportunities at scale. Fully integrated with TPP SystmOne and other primary care systems.
• FDB Multilex in the Cloud Cloud-hosted delivery of FDB Multilex clinical decision support, enabling faster and more cost-effective access to drug knowledge and decision support capabilities for healthcare organisations.
• Cumulative Dose Check (CDC) Service Service that monitors cumulative medication doses to support safer prescribing decisions and medication safety monitoring for clinicians.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £500 million in total savings to the NHS through OptimiseRx solution
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• TPP (SystmOne)coreTechnology or Integration · 28 April 2025AnalyseRx fully integrated with TPP SystmOne, one of the major GP clinical systems in the UK. This integration enables proactive medicines optimisation opportunities to be identified and actioned directly within the SystmOne workflow.
• InterSystems CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationFDB clinical decision support integrated into InterSystems TrakCare hospital information system. Provides clinicians with formulary checks, order sets, and medication safety features within the hospital workflow.
• Medicus (New GP Solution)coreTechnology or IntegrationNew GP solution that integrates FDB Multilex for clinical decision support at point of prescribing in primary care settings.
• Vertis Health PCNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVertis Health Primary Care Network uses AnalyseRx to drive operational efficiencies within lipid management. Case study demonstrating population health management capabilities.
• Hearst HealthflagshipOthersFDB is part of Hearst Health, a division of Hearst Corporation. Hearst Health provides clinical decision support and health information businesses serving the healthcare industry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Oracle Health (formerly Cerner): Major global EHR vendor (Millennium / Cerner) with embedded clinical decision support and formulary content. Comparable at the intersection of large-scale EHR platforms and clinical content, and a potential customer/competitor for drug knowledge licensing in UK hospital deployments.
• InterSystems (TrakCare): Global health information system vendor whose TrakCare EHR is integrated with FDB Multilex for hospital prescribing decision support. Comparable at the intersection of EHR platforms and embedded clinical content, though InterSystems is a broader platform vendor rather than a CDSS specialist.
• Elsevier Clinical Solutions (ClinicalPath / Gold Standard): Provides clinical decision support, drug reference (via Gold Standard), order sets, and care planning tools as part of a broader clinical content portfolio. Comparable to FDB in drug reference and decision support, though broader in clinical-pathway and evidence-based content offerings.

Emerging players

• RxFiles Academic Detailing Program: Provides evidence-based drug information and prescribing decision support tools, primarily in Canada but with a comparable formulary/prescribing-optimisation use case. Comparable in providing clinician-facing drug reference and medicines optimisation content, though at a smaller scale and different geography.
• RxNav (NIH National Library of Medicine): A free, public-sector drug information and interaction API operated by the US National Library of Medicine. Not a commercial CDSS vendor, but its open availability of drug data APIs represents a structural alternative source for EHR vendors seeking to reduce CDSS licensing costs, posing competitive pressure on commercial drug-database vendors like FDB.

Regional players

• EMIS Health: Major UK clinical system vendor serving primary care and other NHS settings. Comparable in UK primary-care customer base and is a potential OEM distribution partner / competitor depending on whether EMIS builds drug knowledge content in-house or licenses from FDB or alternatives.

Direct peers

• BMJ Best Practice: Provides evidence-based clinical decision support content used by NHS clinicians, including prescribing guidance and drug-related recommendations. Comparable as a UK-distributed clinical decision support reference targeted at NHS clinicians, with overlapping customer base and similar content-licensing economics.
• TPP (SystmOne): One of the major UK GP and secondary-care clinical system vendors, into which FDB Multilex is embedded as the drug knowledge source. Comparable as a UK clinical platform with overlapping customer base (NHS primary care) and a direct OEM/embedded distribution relationship with FDB.
• Wolters Kluwer Clinical Drug Information (Medi-Span / Lexicomp): Provides drug reference databases (Medi-Span), clinical decision support (Lexicomp), and patient drug information used by hospitals, pharmacies, and EHR vendors globally. Directly competes with FDB in drug knowledge licensing and clinical decision support, with similar OEM integration into major EHR systems.
• First Databank (US): The US sister entity within Hearst Health, providing drug databases (MedKnowledge) and clinical decision support solutions (OrderKnowledge) to hospitals, pharmacies, and EHR vendors in North America. Directly comparable in product offering and OEM distribution model, differing only by geography and formulary scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/fdbfirstdatabank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fdbuk
• Xx.com/FDB_UK

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Databank UK