National Drug Code (NDC) Policy Term Definition

Drug products are identified and reported using a unique, three-segment number, called the National Drug Code (NDC), which serves as a universal product identifier for human drugs. The FDA publishes the listed NDC numbers and the information submitted as part of the listing information in the NDC Directory, which is currently updated semimonthly. The NDC is an 11-digit number; the first segment (5 digits) of the NDC indicates the manufacturer, the second segment (4 digits) indicates the drug product, and the third segment (2 digits) indicates the package size.