What Does N Mean At The Beginning Of An Rx Number

Updated

I am trying to find out what the letter "c" and the letter "n" stand for at the beginning of my rx number. Example - n123456 on my oxycodone and for my lomotil, alprazolam and loratab it looks like this Example-c123456. I know the prescriptions are all controlled but my doctor can write refills and call in my "c" prescriptions and I have to have the hard copy written in order to get my "n" prescriptions. What do these letters stand for? Are their other letters? If so what do they stand for? If all these medications are controlled what is the difference?

5 Replies

Earliest Newest Votes
1

As to what those letters stand for, you'd actually need to ask at your pharmacy. Such numbers aren't universal. The RX number is unique to your pharmacy, or pharmacy chain.

For instance, if you get it filled at Walgreens, you could use the RX number to get a refill, if available, at any Walgreens throughout the U.S., or to access information about the prescription.

However, if you go to Wal-Mart and give them the number, it's not going to mean anything to them, at all.

Many other pharmacies don't even use letters in theirs, I have a bottle of Vicodin with a couple left in it that was prescribed to me back in January, which I had filled at the local pharmacy that I regularly use and it's only a series of numbers for the RX number, they don't use any letters.

And controlled substances are divided into tiers and whether or not a medication can have refills, or if refills can be phoned in, depends on what tier it falls under.

There are 5 tiers, and they are basically separated according to how much abuse or addiction potential a medication may risk.

So, schedule V controlled substances are those that are not known to have abuse potential and that allows your doctor to give you up to a years worth of refills on them.

For life-sustaining medications, in the lower tiers, they can be unlimited for a year, so you can just go pick them up anytime you need them, in case your dosage was changed and you ran out early, or you lost tablets or etc.

And the top tier, which would be schedule I are those which currently have no accepted medical use in the U.S.

Do you have any other questions I can help with?

Was this helpful? 2
2

Here's a simpler way:
Schedule 1 Drugs- Drugs that are illegal and addictive. Heroin, Crack Cocaine, etc.
Schedule 2: Drugs that are very addictive but that have a clinical use- ritalin, oxycotin, etc. These can only be prescribed one month at a time.

Was this helpful? 4
3

The letter N stands for "Narcotic" - these are prescriptions of Schedule II meds.

The letter C stands for "Controlled" - these are prescriptions of Schedule III - IV meds

Was this helpful? 16
4

C: means that it is a controlled substance
N: means that it is a narcotic
*This is true if it says C or N instead of RX



Was this helpful? 3
5

Does the RX numbers mean anything? Do the RX numbers tell you more name

Was this helpful? 1

More Discussions:

what does c mean the beginning of a prescription number

What does the letter c indicate at the beginning of an RC number ## It may be an initial for the manufacturer, which cou...

1 REPLY
What it means when there is swelling at the instep of right foot that does not pain

Recently I found that my right foot swells at the corner of instep. It does not pain. On the job I sit most of the day i...

2 REPLIES
what do the numbers on a pill mean

Vicodin m325 & vicodine m367 mean ? ## Hello, Jc! How are you? Under current U.S. prescription drug laws, all manufa...

1 REPLY
The number and letters on percocet What they mean

This pill is a white round pill with the numbers 104 and other side blank. I was get Percocet with the letters Rp on it ...

1 REPLY
what does the T mean on label for hydrocodone /acetaminophen 7.5-325

my hydrocodone has Watson 3202 on white oval pill but pharmacy label has a T following the 325. What does the T mean? ##...

3 REPLIES
what does the v mean on a white pill

I was asked bye a friend if what he takes is a percocet or vicodin because his new pills are the v perc 5s. So i told hi...

2 REPLIES
what does the m mean on a pill

I found a pill in my car that is capsule shaped and is scored. It has a small double pyramid on one score and an m on th...

1 REPLY
What Does The P Mean On A Pill MEAN

I got a pill from a friend who said it will calm me down..she said it was valium...but it looks differant...its light ye...

1 REPLY
What Does The DR Mean On A Prescription

I want to know what DR means after the prescription name. The pill is Divaloprex DR 500 mgs. ## It stands for delayed re...

4 REPLIES
what does the ER mean on a prescription

ER meaning extended release--What is the ingredient used to make the medicine ER? ## There is really no specific ingredi...

1 REPLY