National council for prescription drug programs

National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) is a not-for-profit, ANSI-accredited, Standards Development Organization (SDO) that provides healthcare solutions. NCPDP is a multi-stakeholder forum for fostering the development and adoption of its standards and guidance for the interoperability within the healthcare industry.

History

The NCPDP was established in 1977 with the aim of creating a standardized system for reporting prescription drug claims. The organization has since evolved to address the needs of the evolving healthcare industry, including ePrescribing, Medication Therapy Management (MTM), and other health information technology initiatives.

Standards

NCPDP develops and promotes standards for the transfer of data and information related to medications and pharmacy services. These standards are used by pharmacies, healthcare providers, pharmacy benefit managers, and health plans to facilitate the exchange of information.

Among the standards developed by NCPDP are the SCRIPT Standard for ePrescribing, the Telecommunication Standard for pharmacy claims transactions, and the Batch Standard for the transmission of large volumes of claims.

Membership

Membership in the NCPDP is open to all stakeholders in the healthcare industry, including pharmacies, healthcare providers, pharmacy benefit managers, health plans, and technology vendors. Members have the opportunity to participate in the development of standards and other initiatives.

Impact

The work of the NCPDP has had a significant impact on the healthcare industry. Its standards have facilitated the widespread adoption of ePrescribing, improved the efficiency of pharmacy claims processing, and contributed to the advancement of health information technology.