National Drug Code

Each medication listed under Section 510 of the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act is assigned a unique 10-digit, 3-segment number. This number, known as the National Drug Code (NDC), identifies the labeler/vendor, product, and trade package size.

• The first segment, the labeler code, is assigned by the FDA. A labeler is any firm that manufactures, repacks or distributes a drug product.
• The second segment, the product code, identifies a specific strength, dosage form, and formulation for a particular firm.
• The third segment, the package code identifies package sizes.

Both the product and package codes are assigned by the firm.

The NDC will be in one of the following configurations: 4-4-2, 5-3-2, or 5-4-1.

External links

• FDA National Drug Code Directory (http://www.fda.gov/cder/ndc/database/default.htm)