How to Find an Rx by Number

Any drug that becomes commercially available to Americans must be registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to the Drug Listing Act of 1972. The FDA assigns each company a labeler, which is typically five digits in length. The company then selects a four-digit product code, as well as a short packaging code. The labeler, product code and packaging code are often separated by hyphens. When all of the digits are situated in one long string, they make up the product's National Drug Code (NDC). According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the NDC is required for Medicaid claims in some states. For the average consumer, the NDC can sometimes be found on the pharmacy's prescription label affixed to the package or bottle.

Instructions

• 1

  Go to the FDA homepage at fda.gov.

• 2

  Type "National Drug Code Directory" into the search bar at the top of the page. Hit the Enter key.

• 3

  Find the link that reads "National Drug Code" when the results appear. Verify this is the correct link by looking directly below for a web address that starts with "www.accessdata.fda.gov." Click on the link.

• 4

  Click on the "Search by NDC Number" link.

• 5

  Click on "Labeler Code" in the sentence that reads "Search by NDC Number by Labeler Code Only."

• 6

  Input the five-digit labeler code and click the "Submit Query" button.

• 7

  Peruse the given list to find the four-digit product code that corresponds to the prescription.