NDC (National Drug Code)
National Drug Code
FDA-assigned 10-digit identifier for FDA-approved drugs and biologics.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Billing
- Acronym for
- National Drug Code
- Primary sources
- 1
- Workspace handoff
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Where this comes up
This shows up in revenue-cycle work — claim scrubbing, charge entry, posting, A/R follow-up, and month-end close. Billers and practice managers hit this term when reconciling a payment, working a denial queue, or auditing why a claim aged past 60 days.
Full definition
What it is in practice
FDA NDC is required on many drug claims (especially Medicaid) alongside the J-code. The 10-digit NDC is reported in 11-digit format on claims using leading-zero padding.
How it shows up in your practice
Set the EHR / inventory system to capture NDC at administration. Missing or mismatched NDCs cause Medicaid drug-claim denials.
Sources
- CMS — HCPCS Level IIhttps://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/healthcare-common-procedure-system-hcpcs-level-ii-coding-procedures
Look up NDC formatting in Ask D3
Open ask d3 →Related terms
- BillingJ-CodeHCPCS Level II codes (J0000-J9999) used to bill drugs administered other than by oral method.
- Billing340B Drug PricingHRSA-administered drug-discount program that lets eligible safety-net providers buy outpatient drugs at reduced prices.
- BillingModifier JWHCPCS modifier indicating drug amount discarded from a single-use vial or single-use package.
D3rx is a healthcare-billing and compliance research aid maintained by D3rx Inc. Articles are drafted by an LLM (Anthropic Claude) against primary HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and state-regulator publications, and reviewed for restraint and source fidelity by the D3rx team.
Reviewer status: a named credentialed reviewer (CHC, CHPC, or healthcare attorney) is being engaged. Until that engagement is finalized, this page does not claim credentialed review.
Related across the archive
- GlossaryJ-CodeHCPCS Level II codes (J0000-J9999) used to bill drugs administered other than by oral method.
- GlossaryModifier JWHCPCS modifier indicating drug amount discarded from a single-use vial or single-use package.
- Glossary340B Drug PricingHRSA-administered drug-discount program that lets eligible safety-net providers buy outpatient drugs at reduced prices.
- GlossaryG-CodeHCPCS Level II codes (G0000-G9999) for procedures and services that do not have CPT codes — primarily Medicare temporary or Medicare-specific services.
- GlossaryHCPCS Level IIThe CMS-maintained code set covering products, supplies, and services not included in CPT — primarily durable medical equipment, drugs, and Medicare-specific services.
- GlossaryModifier RT / LTHCPCS modifiers identifying procedures performed on the right (RT) or left (LT) side of the body.
- GlossarySurgical Pathology Codes (88300-88309)CPT codes for surgical pathology specimen examination, stratified by specimen complexity.
- BillingAWV + Problem Visit Same Day: How to Bill CorrectlyYes, you can bill AWV and a problem visit the same day. Here's how to do it correctly with modifier -25.
This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.