Z79.51 Long term (current) use of inhaled steroids

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)

• V58.65 Long-term (current) use of steroids (approximate)

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 Z79.51

Back-references to Z79.5

• Type 2 Excludes: Z79.6 Long term (current) use of immunomodulators and immunosuppressants ("long term (current) use of steroids (Z79.5-)")

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 Z79.51

• Long-term (current) (prophylactic) drug therapy (use of) › steroids › inhaled
• Therapy › drug, long-term (current) (prophylactic) › steroids › inhaled

Nearby codes

• Z79.1 Long term (current) use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID)
• Z79.2 Long term (current) use of antibiotics
• 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 (this code)
• Z79.52 Long term (current) use of systemic steroids
• Z79.6 Long term (current) use of immunomodulators and immunosuppressants
• Z79.60 Long term (current) use of unspecified immunomodulators and immunosuppressants
• Z79.61 Long term (current) use of immunomodulator
• Z79.62 Long term (current) use of immunosuppressant