I found myself on the FDA website today attempting to verify some NDC codes. I found some wording on the NDC database that I found interesting:
If you read the information about the database:
1) It only contains voluntarily submitted data
2) It does not contain NDC's applied to the components of packages
3) It contains only the NDC's regarding a product that were submitted. For example, if the vendor submits an NDC for a case of 24 items, that apparently meets the letter of the submission requirements. They are not required to submit, nor is the FDA required to display, all the NDC's associated with a given package.
For example, I went looking to verify NDC 0003-2240-11 which turns out to be the NDC for a case of 24 1 gm/50 mL products. The NDC for the individual items in that case is not reported or listed by the FDA website.
This is an example of the reason why the NDC is inadequate to meet our patient safety needs. If the authoritative source of NDC codes refuses to produce a complete and authoritative list, then who can?