Pharmacy product codes explained: CNK, PZN, CIP 13 and GTIN

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.

PZN stands for Pharmazentralnummer. Germany uses it to identify medicines and other products commonly sold through pharmacies, supporting product data exchange, supply and reimbursement processes. IFA assigns German PZNs. The number originally had seven digits and was extended to eight in 2013. Since 2020, only packs with the eight-digit version may be marketed in Germany.

Austria also uses the name PZN, but the Austrian PZN is not the same as the German PZN. The national system was introduced in 1990 to support data exchange between pharmacies and wholesalers. The Austrian PZN has six digits plus a check digit and forms part of a 13-digit NTIN, which can be represented by an EAN-13 barcode.

CIP 13 stands for Code Identifiant de Présentation. In France, it identifies a specific medicine presentation: its name, dosage form, strength and pack. On 1 January 2009, the former seven-digit code was replaced by a 13-digit code. The old number range was expected to run out, while medicine traceability requirements were changing. The CIP code is used to identify, trace and reimburse medicines.

ACL is another French product reference used in information systems across the health-product distribution chain. It helps partners find the same product in their databases and transactions. An ACL code is different from CIP 13, which identifies a specific medicine presentation.

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.

NDC means National Drug Code. In the United States, it identifies drugs in the FDA listing system. Its three segments refer to the labeler, product and package. An NDC does not mean that FDA has approved the drug, and it is not the same as a UPC or GTIN.

ARTG ID is the number of an entry in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. It points to a therapeutic product’s entry in Australia’s public register. A GTIN identifies a trade item or package; an ARTG ID serves a different purpose.

Product identifiers differ between countries. A record may contain a national pharmacy code such as CNK, PZN or CIP 13, as well as a GTIN for a trade item. The local codes are not interchangeable. Their meaning depends on the issuing system and the market.

Sources: APB: CNK · IFA: PZN · ANSM: CIP · GS1: GTIN and EAN · FDA: NDC · TGA: ARTG