What do NDC, NCPDP, NABP, NPI mean?

Today I will briefly talk about key terms in healthcare industry that I learned over time.

NDC: National Drug Code

The National Drug Code  (NDC) is a unique product identifier used in the United States for human drugs to identify the vendor (manufacturer), product and package size of all drugs and biologics recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is 10-digit numeric code with 3-segment numeric identifier assigned to each medication listed under Section 510 of FDCA. There are three kinds of combinations for NDC:  4-4-2, 5-3-2, or 5-4-1. 

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

The NDC can be found on the drug container (i.e., vial, bottle, or tube).
 
Pseudo-NDC
NDC derived by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) is a 11-digit numeric code with a fixed length segmentation: 5-4-2. Since it is different from NDC by FDA, it is sometimes called pseudo-NDC. The NDC examples for diabetic supply list are shown below:

Since July 2013, all outpatient drug claims billed are required to include the J code and a valid NDC (National Drug Code), NDC quantity and NDC Unit of Measure (UOM). The NDC quantity is in the format of 9999.99 while the NDC UOM codes can be

• F2: International Unit
• GR: Gram
• ME: Milligram
• ML: Millilitre
• UN: Unit

The NDCs on claims usually don't contain hyphens or spaces between segments.

NCPDP and NABP

A NCPDP Provider Identification number (NCPDP Provider ID) formerly known as the Pharmacy NABP number, is 7-digit code a to provide pharmacies with a unique, national identifier that would assist pharmacies in their interactions with pharmacy payers and claims processors.

NPI

A National Provider Identifier or NPI is a unique 10-digit identification number issued to health care providers in the United States by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) NPPES.

Reference: 

1. CMS NDC 
2. FDA NDC
3. Anatomy Of The National Drug Code