# Look up a drug's NADAC price

URL: https://docs.healthcare.dev/reference/drugs/look-up-a-drug-s-nadac-price

```http
GET https://api.healthcare.dev/v1/drugs/nadac/{ndc}
```

CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost for one package NDC: the current price per unit (`nadac_per_unit` per `pricing_unit`) with its effective date, brand/generic classification and explanation codes, plus `history`, every rate in the current and previous calendar years' weekly files (newest first). NDCs CMS no longer prices stay available with `status: retired`. Accepts a hyphenated package NDC in any 10-digit layout or an 11-digit NDC. NADAC is a survey of retail pharmacy acquisition costs, not a price a patient pays.

Requires an API key: `Authorization: Bearer hdev_live_...`. See [Authentication](/authentication).

## Path parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `ndc` | string | yes | Package NDC (hyphenated, any 10-digit layout) or 11-digit NDC | `00003-0894-21` |

## Query parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `view` | "compact" \| "full" | no | `compact` returns only the fields an agent usually needs (fewer tokens); `full` (default) returns every field | `compact` |
| `fields` | string | no | Comma-separated record fields to return, e.g. `code,display,billable` | `code,display,billable` |

## Examples

**curl**

```sh
curl "https://api.healthcare.dev/v1/drugs/nadac/00003-0894-21" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $HDEV_API_KEY"
```

**TypeScript**

```ts
const res = await fetch("https://api.healthcare.dev/v1/drugs/nadac/00003-0894-21", {
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.HDEV_API_KEY}` },
});
const { data, meta } = await res.json();
```

**Python**

```python
import os
import requests

res = requests.get("https://api.healthcare.dev/v1/drugs/nadac/00003-0894-21", headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['HDEV_API_KEY']}"})
body = res.json()
```

## Response

The NADAC price and history

```json
{
  "data": {
    "ndc": "string",
    "ndc_description": "string",
    "nadac_per_unit": 0,
    "pricing_unit": "EA",
    "effective_date": "2026-10-01",
    "as_of_date": "2026-10-01",
    "classification_for_rate_setting": "G",
    "otc": true,
    "pharmacy_type_indicator": "string",
    "explanation_codes": [
      "string"
    ],
    "corresponding_generic": {
      "nadac_per_unit": 0,
      "effective_date": "2026-10-01"
    },
    "history": [
      {
        "effective_date": "2026-10-01",
        "nadac_per_unit": 0,
        "pricing_unit": "EA",
        "classification_for_rate_setting": "G"
      }
    ],
    "status": "active",
    "effective_start": "2026-10-01",
    "effective_end": "2026-10-01",
    "replaced_by": [
      "string"
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "source": "cms-icd10",
    "data_version": "2026.1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-24T12:00:00Z",
    "license": "Public domain (CMS). Reference data, not medical advice."
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "/v1/drugs/nadac/00003-0894-21",
    "next": null
  }
}
```

### Fields

| Field | Type | Always present | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `ndc` | string | yes | NDC-11 (5-4-2, no hyphens) as CMS lists it |
| `ndc_description` | string | yes | Drug name, strength and dosage form, as CMS lists it |
| `nadac_per_unit` | number | yes | National average acquisition cost, USD per unit |
| `pricing_unit` | "EA" \| "ML" \| "GM" | yes | Unit the price is per: `EA` each (tablet, capsule, patch...), `ML` milliliter, `GM` gram |
| `effective_date` | string (date) | yes | Date the current rate took effect |
| `as_of_date` | string (date) | yes | As of Date of the latest weekly NADAC file that lists this NDC (for a retired NDC, the last file that did) |
| `classification_for_rate_setting` | "G" \| "B" \| "B-ANDA" \| "B-BIO" | yes | Classification for Rate Setting: whether CMS treated the NDC as generic (`G`) or brand (`B`) when calculating the rate. `B-ANDA` is a brand approved under an ANDA; `B-BIO` a biosimilar (treated as brand). |
| `otc` | boolean | yes | Over-the-counter product |
| `pharmacy_type_indicator` | string | yes | Survey the rate comes from; `C/I` = chain and independent pharmacies (the only type CMS uses today) |
| `explanation_codes` | string[] | yes | How CMS calculated the rate: 1 from the most recent survey; 2 survey within ±2%, carried forward; 3 adjusted for published pricing changes or a help desk inquiry; 4 carried forward; 5 calculated based on package size; 6 CMS S/I/N drug category not applied |
| `corresponding_generic` | object \| null | yes | For a multiple-source brand: the NADAC of its corresponding generic drug |
| `history` | NadacRate[] | yes | Every rate in the current and previous calendar years' NADAC files, newest effective date first. The rate in effect on a date is the first entry whose effective_date is on or before it. |
| `status` | "active" \| "retired" \| "replaced" | yes |  |
| `effective_start` | string (date) | yes |  |
| `effective_end` | string \| null (date) | yes |  |
| `replaced_by` | string[] | no |  |

## Errors

Errors are `application/problem+json` ([RFC 9457](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9457)). Branch on `type`, not on `title`. See [Errors](/errors).

| Status | `type` | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 400 | `invalid-request` | A parameter or the body failed validation; `errors` lists each field. |
| 401 | `unauthorized` | Missing, malformed or revoked API key. |
| 404 | `not-found` | No record with that id (retired records are still returned). |
| 429 | `rate-limited / quota-exceeded` | Too many requests per second (retry after `Retry-After`), or the monthly quota is used up. |
| 503 | `dataset-unavailable / unavailable` | The dataset has no published version yet, or the service is degraded. |