How do I add more than one NDC # to a Medication CPT code?

Only one NDC may be directly associated per CPT code in the CPT Code table.   However, OP Aware rules can let you cleverly manage multiple NDCs for a single CPT code by using fake CPT aliases as placeholders.

For example, a practice may stock three presentations of ceftriaxone (J0696), each with its own NDC number:

presentationNDC (from vial)11 digit padded NDC
250 mg vial0409-7337-1100409733711
500 mg vial0409-7338-1100409733811
1 g vial0409-7332-1100409733211

To minimize clicking and maximize automation, a practice might adopt this strategy:

Step one: Create three fake CPT aliases, one for each presentation

The practice adds new CPTs in the usual way and creates three aliases, one for each presentation, by appending a letter of the alphabet.  For example, if a practice creates J0696A for 250 mg vials, J0696B for 500 mg vials, and J0696C for 1 g vials, and adds each to their Meds category, the result so far would look like this:

The practice need not associate NDC numbers with these vials in the CPT creation process.

Step two: Create three new OP AWARE rules to convert each fake CPT alias back to J0696

The practice can use OP AWARE's to automatically convert the aliases back to the proper CPT code -- and add the NDC and CPT units!

For example, here is a sample rule that takes a J0696A (representing a 250 mg vial) and replaces it with a J0696, with 1 unit and the proper NDC for the 250 mg vial:

 

(The red arrows indicate fields that many users forget to set... don't forget to set the fields, or the rules won't fire!)

Similarly, here is a sample rule that converts J0696B to two units of J0696, with the appropriate NDC for the 500 mg vial:

Finally, here's a sample rule that converts J0696C to four units of J0696 with the NDC for a 1 g vial:


Converting the fake CPT aliases back to J0696 ensures that these fake CPT codes never go out on a claim.  While you should only send proper AMA-compliant CPT and HCPCS codes out on claims, it is perfectly acceptable to use fake CPT aliases in your superbills as placeholders.

Step three: test your work

To ensure that you have set things up correct, do a sample claim for a Testpatient.  Note: you may need to totally restart OP (not just log out and in) for your fake CPT additions and new OP AWARE rules to fire properly.

Before, in the superbill, J0696C is selected to represent 1 g ceftriaxone vial:

And after the charge is converted to a claim, note that now 4 units (since J0696 by definition is "per 250 mg") with the appropriate NDC for a 1 g vial.

Please note: properly formatted NDCs not only contain an 11 digit NDC, they also contain a unit of measure suffix (like ML1 or UN1).  Unit of measure suffixes are required but are not shown in this example.   You could either add them to your OP AWARE rules, or you could manually add them on the claim line if the volumes tend to vary a great deal.