WLDI Releases National Drug Code (NDC) Crosswalk

May 6, 2010 – Encinitas, CA – Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI) has created a National Drug Code Directory (NDC) Crosswalk, which links NDC codes with the ODG Workers’ Comp Drug Formulary.

The NDC is a unique number assigned by the FDA to each drug. This number acts as a universal product identifier and includes additional information such as dosage and drug form. Through the new crosswalk, the NDCs are linked directly to the ODG Drug Formulary, which lists information on Drug Class, Generic Name, Brand Name, Generic Equivalent and, most importantly, ODG’s proprietary Preferred Drug Status.

ODG’s Preferred Drug Status contains a Y if the drug is a preferred drug and an N if the drug is not a preferred drug. Drugs marked with N are not recommended as a first-line treatment in ODG based on the evidence-based recommendations in the chapters from ODG Treatment in Workers’ Comp. The linking of NDC codes with ODG’s recommendations will streamline the drug approval process in workers’ compensation cases and take the guesswork out of finding the correct dosage and generic equivalent.

The NDC Crosswalk is available for $4,500 for use with and integration into claims and pharmacy benefits management systems. The ODG Workers’ Comp Drug Formulary was released in December 2008 and is included with access to ODG Treatment on the Web. 

The 2010 release in the ODG product line (including the 15th edition of Official Disability Guidelines and 8th edition of ODG Treatment in Workers Comp) provides the most up to date evidence-based medical treatment and disability duration guidelines to improve as well as benchmark outcomes in workers' compensation and non-occupational disability. ODG 2010 is based on an aggregate of over 10 million cases, including CDC and OSHA, referred to as the "most direct form of evidence that can be offered in court" under the Federal Rules of Evidence, plus over 2 million medical records from actual workers’ compensation and disability claims.

For more information about ODG, go to www.worklossdata.com or contact Work Loss Data Institute, publisher of the ODG product line. WLDI is an independent database development company focused on workplace health and productivity, based in Encinitas, CA.