CNK, EAN and GTIN: product codes in Belgian pharmacies

CNK stands for Code Nationa(a)l Kodenummer. In Belgium, APB uses this administrative number to identify products supplied through community pharmacies. It does not describe the product. The product name, form, composition, strength, pack and authorisation are among the details considered when a CNK is assigned. As pharmacies and supply partners moved to computerised data exchange, a shared national identifier became increasingly useful. Since 1 January 1993, a CNK has seven digits: six digits and a check digit.

GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is the international GS1 identifier for a trade item. The digits are usually printed below a barcode. EAN-13 is the barcode symbol used to represent a 13-digit GTIN. People often call the digits themselves an “EAN code”, but GTIN is the number and EAN is the scannable representation on the pack. Barcode history began with UPC in the US in 1973; the European EAN organisation was founded in Brussels in 1977.

In Belgium, the CNK is one of the identifiers used for products supplied through pharmacies. A product may also carry an EAN or GTIN on its packaging. APB uses CNK as an administrative identifier; it is not a product description or a quality label.

Codes used in other markets, such as PZN and CIP 13, are compared on our international product codes page.

Sources: APB: CNK · GS1: GTIN and EAN