PZN Barcode Generator – Pharmazentralnummer for German Pharmacies
What Is a PZN Barcode?
PZN stands for Pharmazentralnummer (Pharma Central Number), a unique product identifier used exclusively in the German-speaking pharmaceutical market. It is assigned by the Informationsstelle für Arzneispezialitäten (IFA GmbH) in Frankfurt and uniquely identifies a specific pharmaceutical product in a specific package size and dosage form.
PZN barcodes are encoded using the Code 39 symbology with a mandatory prefix “-” (dash). The full PZN consists of either 7 digits (PZN7, legacy) or 8 digits (PZN8, current standard since 2013), with the last digit being a check digit calculated using a modulo-11 algorithm with weights 2–8.
Every pharmaceutical product, medical device, and healthcare product sold through pharmacies in Germany must carry a PZN. The number is essential for ordering, dispensing, reimbursement by health insurance, and pharmacovigilance reporting.
Technical Specifications
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | 8 digits (PZN8) – 7 data + 1 check digit |
| Barcode symbology | Code 39 with prefix “-” (dash, encoded as PZN minus sign) |
| Check digit algorithm | Modulo 11 with weights 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Character set | Numeric only (0–9) plus dash prefix |
| Human-readable text | PZN – 12345678 (with “PZN” prefix and dash) |
| Administering body | IFA GmbH (Informationsstelle für Arzneispezialitäten), Frankfurt |
| Territory | Germany (primary), also used in Austria and Switzerland |
If the modulo-11 calculation yields a remainder of 10, the PZN is invalid and cannot be assigned. This constraint means approximately 9% of possible number combinations are excluded, adding an extra layer of error detection.
Who Uses PZN Barcodes?
- • Pharmacies: Every German pharmacy scans PZN barcodes for dispensing, stock management, insurance claims and controlled substance tracking.
- • Pharmaceutical manufacturers: Manufacturers must obtain PZN numbers from IFA GmbH for every product variant (size, strength, formulation) before market entry in Germany.
- • Wholesale distributors: Pharmaceutical wholesalers like Phoenix, Noweda and Alliance Healthcare use PZN for automated warehouse picking, ordering and delivery verification.
- • Health insurance companies: PZN is the key for reimbursement processing. Prescriptions link the PZN to pricing and coverage databases maintained by the Lauer-Taxe reference.
How to Create a PZN Barcode
- 1. Obtain your PZN from IFA GmbH (required for all pharmaceutical products sold in Germany).
- 2. Open the Barcode Generator and select PZN.
- 3. Enter your 7- or 8-digit PZN number. The generator validates the check digit and formats the barcode with the required dash prefix.
- 4. Download and verify with a pharmacy scanner before printing on packaging.
Everything runs in your browser – no data upload, no registration needed, unlimited generation.
PZN vs EAN – Both on the Same Package?
In Germany, pharmaceutical packaging often carries both a PZN barcode (Code 39) and an EAN-13 barcode. The PZN is used by the pharmacy dispensing system, while the EAN-13 is used for wholesale logistics and retail inventory. The two numbers identify the same product but serve different systems in the supply chain.
Since 2019, EU anti-counterfeiting regulations (FMD/securPharm) additionally require a Data Matrix code with a unique serial number on prescription drugs. This means a single pharmaceutical package in Germany may carry three different barcodes: PZN, EAN-13 and Data Matrix – each serving a distinct purpose.
Related Topics
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