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PZN Barcode (Pharmazentralnummer)

The camera app can scan this. The Zebra app can scan this.

The Pharmazentralnummer is the article number for medicines and pharmacy products in Germany. It is printed as Code 39 with a leading minus sign, while the letters PZN appear only in the human-readable text.

Also called Pharma-Zentral-Nummer, PZN7, PZN8, Code 39 PZN, German pharmacy code.

In this family

Specifications

Standard	IFA (Informationsstelle für Arzneispezialitäten) coding rules; symbol per Code 39
Character set	Numeric (0-9) plus leading '-' in the encoded data
Capacity	PDF: fixed 7 digits (PZN7); since 1 Jan 2013 PZN is 8 digits (PZN8)
Check digit	Built-in modulo 11 check digit (last digit)
Dimension	1D linear

Where it is used

German pharmaceuticals and pharmacy products

People use it for german pharmaceuticals and pharmacy products.

The camera app can scan this. The Zebra app can scan this. Both return the raw text.

Example

-27580899

Scan and create

Create this code Camera app Zebra app

Create this code opens the barcode generator with this symbology and the sample text filled in.

The camera app can scan this and shows it as Code 39. It returns the raw text. It does not open links, look up products, or start a payment. The desktop companion types that text into the focused field.

The Zebra app can scan this. It returns the raw text.

Questions

What is the difference between PZN7 and PZN8?

The Pharmazentralnummer is the article number for medicines and pharmacy products in Germany. Character set: Numeric (0-9) plus leading '-' in the encoded data. The camera app can scan this. It returns the raw text. The Zebra app can scan this.

How is the PZN check digit calculated?

The check rule is: Built-in modulo 11 check digit (last digit). When an app can scan the symbol, it returns the characters it read and does not label one of them as a check. The camera app can scan this. It returns the raw text. The Zebra app can scan this.

Is the PZN being replaced by Data Matrix codes?

The Pharmazentralnummer is the article number for medicines and pharmacy products in Germany. The cited standard is IFA (Informationsstelle für Arzneispezialitäten) coding rules; symbol per Code 39. The camera app can scan this. It returns the raw text. The Zebra app can scan this.