National Drug Code Number (NDC Number)

The National Drug Code Number is used to identify all drugs manufactured for human consumption in the United States. The Drug Listing Act of 1972 required that all manufacturers of drugs supply the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with a unique number for each and every medication. 

The national drug code is a three-segmented number, and it is expected that the Pharmacy Technician will be able to understand each segment what each segment means.

Segment 1 

 XXXX(X)

The first segment (Labeler Code) can be 4 or 5 digits in length, it is assigned by the FDA, and it represents the manufacturer of the drug.

Segment 2

XXX(X)

The second segment (Product Code) can be 3 or 4 digits in length, and it represents the product strength, dosage form, and formulation.

Segment 3

XX(X)

The third segment (Package Code) can be 2 or 3 digits in length, it represents the package form and size

The National Drug Code looks something like this:

                                                            XXXX(X) XXX(X) XX(X)

When you are studying for the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE or ExCPT) you will need to fully understand and be able to identify each segment.