Z79.2 Long term (current) use of antibiotics

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026. Exempt from present-on-admission (POA) reporting.

Applies from Z79 Long term (current) drug therapy

Includes

• long term (current) drug use for prophylactic purposes

Excludes2 (not included here)

• drug abuse and dependence (F11-F19)
• drug use complicating pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (O99.32-)

Code also

• any therapeutic drug level monitoring (Z51.81)

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 949-950 in MDC 23.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• V58.62 Long-term (current) use of antibiotics

Medicare Code Edits (MCE v43.1 (April 2026))

• Unacceptable principal diagnosis: These codes describe a circumstance which influences care but is not a current illness or injury, or capture only an underlying condition, and are unacceptable as principal diagnosis.

Code annotations containing back-references to Z79.2

Back-references to Z79

• Code Also: Z51.81 Encounter for therapeutic drug level monitoring ("any long-term (current) drug therapy (Z79.-)")
• Type 2 Excludes: Z92.2 Personal history of drug therapy ("long term (current) drug therapy (Z79.-)")

Diagnosis Index entries for Z79.2

• Long-term (current) (prophylactic) drug therapy (use of) › antibiotics
• Prophylactic › administration of › antibiotics, long-term
• Therapy › drug, long-term (current) (prophylactic) › antibiotics

Nearby codes

• Z79 Long term (current) drug therapy
• Z79.0 Long term (current) use of anticoagulants and antithrombotics/antiplatelets
• Z79.01 Long term (current) use of anticoagulants
• Z79.02 Long term (current) use of antithrombotics/antiplatelets
• Z79.1 Long term (current) use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID)
• Z79.2 Long term (current) use of antibiotics (this code)
• Z79.3 Long term (current) use of hormonal contraceptives
• Z79.4 Long term (current) use of insulin
• Z79.5 Long term (current) use of steroids
• Z79.51 Long term (current) use of inhaled steroids
• Z79.52 Long term (current) use of systemic steroids