PZN – Pharmazentralnummer: Identification System for Medicines
The Pharmazentralnummer (PZN) is an eight-digit identification code for medicines, medical devices, pharmacy-available goods and other health products in Germany. It is issued by the Information Office for Pharmaceutical Specialties GmbH (IFA GmbH) and is printed on every medicine package as a barcode as well as in plain text.
The PZN serves the unambiguous and error-free identification of a pharmaceutical product throughout the entire supply chain. In pharmacies, hospitals and in the pharmaceutical wholesale trade, the PZN enables quick ordering, inventory management and billing with health insurance funds. Each package size, each strength and each pharmaceutical form of a medicine receives its own PZN – i.e. an active ingredient in three package sizes has three different PZNs.
The PZN is issued by IFA GmbH, which is operated as a private organization by German pharmaceutical companies. A manufacturer introducing a new product to the market first applies for a PZN from IFA before submitting the medicine to the BfArM for approval. The PZN is valid exclusively for the German market; in the European and international context, the more comprehensive GTIN system (Global Trade Item Number/EAN) is used.
The PZN is also stored on the e-prescription and forms the basis for billing with the GKV via the pharmacy computing center (ARZ/ARGE). Each dispensing of a prescription medicine is billed and documented via the PZN. As part of serialization according to the EU anti-counterfeiting directive (FMD), the PZN is combined with a unique serial number, which enables scanning at the point of purchase and uncovers counterfeits.
For patients, the PZN is useful for identifying the exact product and reordering it – particularly when reordering via online pharmacies. Health apps and digital medication plans use PZN databases to automatically assign product information. IFA maintains a publicly accessible database (IFAS/LAUER-FISCHER) that can be licensed by pharmacy software providers, health insurance funds and research institutions.
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