NCPDP

What NCPDP does

NCPDP (National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, Inc.) is an ANSI-accredited, nonprofit standards development organization founded in 1977 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. It convenes pharmacies, PBMs, health plans, technology vendors, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and federal and state agencies to develop and maintain interoperability standards that govern how prescription drug and medication-related healthcare information is exchanged across the U.S. healthcare ecosystem. Core technical assets include the SCRIPT Standard (e-prescribing and RxTransfer), the Telecommunication Standard Version F6 (claims processing, eligibility, prior authorization, currently being migrated to JSON), the Formulary & Benefit Standard, the Real-Time Prescription Benefit Standard, the Batch Standard, and the SMP FHIR Implementation Guide co-developed with HL7 for medication reconciliation.

Beyond standards, NCPDP operates a portfolio of commercial data and intelligence products that monetize the same workflow positioning: dataQ 3.0 (a pharmacy database covering 75,000+ U.S. chain, independent, military/government, franchise, compound and specialty pharmacies with WebConnect real-time lookup and OnDemand custom reporting), the HCIdea prescriber database, the resQ credentialing management tool, RxReconn (a $2,500/year state and federal legislative tracking subscription powered by GovHawk), NCPDP Online (pharmacy profile/NCPDP number management), and machine-parsable Standards Table Data feeds. NCPDP is also the only EFI organization certified by CMS to electronically obtain NPI numbers for pharmacies and maintain them in NPPES, and was selected in January 2026 as a 'Friend of the Network' in the CMS Aligned Network.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring subscriptions and individual memberships ($850/year or $1,650 for two years), product/database subscriptions sold to enterprise customers across the pharmacy ecosystem, fee-based and sponsor-supported educational programming (annual conference, webinars with CPE credits, the colLAB community events), and Elite Partner sponsorships from major industry players (CoverMyMeds, Surescripts, FDB, GoodRx, PharmacyFocus). The organization is private and nonprofit, led by President and CEO Lee Ann Stember, with no disclosed venture capital or private equity ownership and an affiliated NCPDP Foundation.

Name

NCPDP

Legal name

National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, Inc.

Website

https://ncpdp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NCPDP is the ANSI-accredited, member-driven standards development organization for U.S. pharmacy and medication interoperability, convening pharmacies, PBMs, health plans, technology vendors, manufacturers, and government agencies to develop and operate healthcare data standards, databases, and legislative tracking services from Scottsdale, Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Interoperability Standards

akta.pro primary industry

Pharmacy Interoperability, Standards & Integration (FHIR/NCPDP) (HLACAKAO)

Keywords

• Healthcare interoperability standards
• Electronic prescribing standards
• Pharmacy claims processing
• Pharmacy data management
• Medication management standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing voting privileges in work groups, access to NCPDP standards and implementation guides, discounted educational programming, industry networking, and member directory access. Many NCPDP standards are voluntary but required by state and federal legislation and regulations.
2. RxReconn Premium Subscription: Premium add-on legislative and regulatory tracking service for members, providing multi-state tracking, NCPDP expert analysis, custom reports, and weekly newsletters.
3. dataQ Database Products: Pharmacy database subscriptions including standard/custom file downloads, real-time WebConnect lookups, and OnDemand custom reporting. Pricing based on class of trade and intended use.
4. HCIdea Prescriber Database: Prescriber database subscription service with LookUp Tool options for healthcare organizations.
5. Educational Programs and Events: Annual conference, webinars, and educational programming with discounted registration for NCPDP members. Continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credits available for select sessions.
6. NCPDP Standards Table Data: Machine-parsable data subscriptions for NCPDP Standard values that can be imported into applications. Reduces time and resources for maintaining standards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

NCPDP develops, maintains, and licenses ANSI-accredited healthcare interoperability standards (SCRIPT, Telecommunication, Formulary & Benefit, Real-Time Prescription Benefit, Batch) for electronic prescribing, pharmacy claims processing, and medication management. The organization also sells supporting data products (dataQ pharmacy database covering 75,000+ pharmacies, HCIdea prescriber database), legislative/regulatory tracking (RxReconn), and educational programming to members across pharmacies, PBMs, health plans, technology vendors, manufacturers, and government agencies.

Product overview

NCPDP is healthcare's trusted problem-solving forum that has convened diverse stakeholders for over 40 years to improve how healthcare information is exchanged. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio centered on its industry-developed standards (including SCRIPT Standard, Telecommunication Standard, Formulary & Benefit Standard, and Real-Time Prescription Benefit Standard), supported by data products (dataQ™ 3.0 with WebConnect™ and OnDemand™ modules, HCIdea® prescriber database), legislative tracking (RxReconn®), and online pharmacy management tools (NCPDP Online, resQ™). The ecosystem is complemented by educational programs including webinars, colLAB events, work groups, and task groups. While many standards are voluntary, numerous are required by state and federal legislation and regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• dataQ: Comprehensive pharmacy database solution providing healthcare stakeholders with detailed and accurate demographic pharmacy information.
• resQ
• HCIdea
• RxReconn
• NCPDPunscripted Podcast

Products and services

• NCPDP Standards Portfolio

Quantifiable outcome

• Electronic prescription transfers via RxTransfer replacing manual phone and fax workflows in pharmacies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SurescriptscoreTechnology or Integration · 5 May 2026Surescripts, the nation's leading health intelligence network, presents at NCPDP Annual Conference highlighting advances in pharmacy interoperability, prescription transfer modernization (RxTransfer), and trusted health data exchange. Sessions cover growing adoption of NCPDP SCRIPT Standard RxTransfer transaction to replace manual phone and fax workflows, coverage intelligence, and interoperability standards integration with HL7 FHIR.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2026NCPDP selected to join CMS Aligned Network as 'Friend of the Network,' enabling contribution of pharmacy and medication standards expertise to CMS Health Technology Ecosystem. Designation allows NCPDP to provide input on guidance, frameworks, and policies supporting national interoperability efforts for digital health infrastructure. Strengthens collaboration opportunities for NCPDP members with national networks and health technology partners.
• The Sequoia ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCPDP collaborates with The Sequoia Project's Pharmacy Interoperability Workgroup to develop standards and implementation guides supporting care coordination and interoperability across the healthcare ecosystem.
• HL7 (Health Level Seven)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with HL7 on FHIR-based pharmacy interoperability standards. Joint project on Standardized Medication Profile (SMP) FHIR Implementation Guide for medication reconciliation and care collaboration. NCPDP participates in HL7 Pharmacy Workgroup.
• Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCPDP Annual Conference features ONC officials outlining initiatives including TEFCA expansion and healthcare interoperability priorities. ONC participates in industry discussions on real-time healthcare information exchange.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFDA officials participate in NCPDP Annual Conference discussing initiatives including transition to 12-digit National Drug Codes and drug labeling requirements. NCPDP standards support FDA regulatory requirements.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHHS officials participate in NCPDP Annual Conference discussing healthcare policy, AI-driven claims infrastructure transformation, and modernization initiatives. NCPDP standards support HHS regulatory frameworks.
• GovHawkcoreTechnology or IntegrationGovHawk provides the technology platform powering RxReconn, NCPDP's state and federal legislative and regulatory tracking tool. GovHawk is an industry-leading comprehensive legislative and regulatory research and tracking firm. Updates are loaded nightly with dedicated staff reviewing bills during business hours.
• Horizon Government AffairscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNCPDP contracts with Horizon Government Affairs to enhance policy analysis, coverage, reporting, and tracking for RxReconn program. Provides expert consultation alongside NCPDP's in-house policy analysts.
• FDB (First Databank)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFDB sponsors the NCPDP TIME (The Individual Member Excellence) Award recognizing individual member contributions to NCPDP and healthcare interoperability standards.
• HIMSScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCPDP partners with HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) on educational programming including pharmacy town halls, webinars, and collaborative efforts to improve care outcomes through better data exchange.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• ASC X12: ANSI-accredited standards body for electronic data interchange, including HIPAA-mandated healthcare transactions (claims, remittance, eligibility). Comparable to NCPDP as an SDO whose transaction sets underpin healthcare data exchange alongside NCPDP's pharmacy-specific standards.
• HL7 (Health Level Seven International): Global healthcare interoperability standards organization that NCPDP actively collaborates with on FHIR-based pharmacy standards (e.g., the SMP Implementation Guide). Directly comparable as an ANSI-accredited SDO shaping how clinical and pharmacy data is exchanged.
• The Sequoia Project: Non-profit focused on healthcare interoperability, including the Pharmacy Interoperability Workgroup that NCPDP collaborates with. Comparable as a convening body producing implementation guidance that complements NCPDP's pharmacy transaction standards.
• CAQH CORE: Operating rules organization for healthcare administrative transactions, co-developing standards adopted by HIPAA-covered entities. Comparable to NCPDP as a multi-stakeholder consensus body that publishes operating rules consumed by payers, providers, and vendors.
• IHE International (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise): Initiative promoting the coordinated use of established standards (including HL7 and DICOM) to deliver interoperable clinical workflows. Comparable to NCPDP as a profile-and-implementation-guide body translating base standards into operational interoperability.
• DICOM Standards Committee: Standards body for medical imaging interoperability, maintained by NEMA and professional societies. Comparable to NCPDP as an SDO producing foundational healthcare exchange standards consumed across clinical settings and referenced in U.S. regulatory frameworks.
• WEDI (Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange): Multi-stakeholder forum for healthcare electronic data interchange, advising HHS on standards and operating rules. Comparable to NCPDP as a consensus organization shaping administrative and clinical transaction standards across the U.S. healthcare ecosystem.
• GS1 Healthcare: Global standards body for supply chain identification (barcodes, GTINs) underpinning pharmaceutical traceability and DSCSA compliance. Comparable to NCPDP as a healthcare-adjacent SDO whose standards are referenced alongside NCPDP transaction sets in pharmacy and manufacturer workflows.

Broad incumbents

• HIMSS: Large healthcare information and management systems society partnering with NCPDP on educational programming. Operates as a broader industry convener and advocacy organization whose scope extends well beyond pharmacy-specific standards work.

Regional players

• ISO/TC 215 (Health Informatics): International technical committee for health informatics standards. Comparable as a healthcare SDO whose international standards compete with or complement U.S. SDO outputs, including NCPDP's, for cross-jurisdiction pharmacy and clinical data exchange.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncpdp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJe7_5xxDMovljN4kkzh92w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-council-for-prescription-drug-programs-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments8 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NCPDP