# Search NADAC prices

URL: https://docs.healthcare.dev/reference/drugs/search-nadac-prices

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

Search NADAC prices by drug name, strength or form (as CMS describes the NDC, e.g. `atorvastatin 10 mg tablet`) or by NDC: a hyphenated package NDC (`0003-0894-21`), a hyphenated product NDC (`0003-0894`, all its packages) or the start of an 11-digit NDC. Results carry the current price but not `history`; look an NDC up for that. Retired NDCs are excluded unless `include_retired=true`.

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

## Query parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `q` | string | yes | Search text (fuzzy) | `diabetes` |
| `limit` | integer | no | Page size (max 100) | `25` |
| `cursor` | string | no | Opaque cursor from `links.next` |  |
| `classification` | "G" \| "B" \| "B-ANDA" \| "B-BIO" | no | Only NDCs CMS priced as this class: `G` generic, `B` brand, `B-ANDA`, `B-BIO` | `G` |
| `include_retired` | "true" \| "false" | no | Also return NDCs CMS no longer prices (default false) | `true` |
| `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?q=diabetes&limit=25" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $HDEV_API_KEY"
```

**TypeScript**

```ts
const res = await fetch("https://api.healthcare.dev/v1/drugs/nadac?q=diabetes&limit=25", {
  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?q=diabetes&limit=25", headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['HDEV_API_KEY']}"})
body = res.json()
```

## Response

Matching NDCs, best first

```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"
      },
      "status": "active",
      "effective_start": "2026-10-01",
      "effective_end": "2026-10-01",
      "replaced_by": [
        "string"
      ],
      "match_score": 0
    }
  ],
  "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?q=diabetes&limit=25",
    "next": "/v1/drugs/nadac?q=diabetes&limit=25&cursor=eyJrIjoiRTExLjkifQ"
  }
}
```

### 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 |
| `status` | "active" \| "retired" \| "replaced" | yes |  |
| `effective_start` | string (date) | yes |  |
| `effective_end` | string \| null (date) | yes |  |
| `replaced_by` | string[] | no |  |
| `match_score` | number | yes | How well this result matches the query: 1 exact code or id, 0.9 code prefix, 0.5 to 0.9 every query word in the text (higher is closer), under 0.5 a fuzzy (typo-tolerant) match. Below 0.5, check the result before relying on it. |

## 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. |