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Pentobarbital Sodium 50 mg/mL Injection — NDC 17478-181-20 (Billing 17478-0181-20)

by Akorn · 1 VIAL, MULTI-DOSE in 1 CARTON / 20 mL in 1 VIAL, MULTI-DOSE

This is a package of Pentobarbital Sodium 50 mg/mL Injection from Akorn, no longer marketed, no longer in the FDA NDC Directory. It is this product's only package size.

NDC 17478-0181-20
🏷️ FDA NDC (as labeled) 17478-181-20 billing pads the product segment with a zero
Rx only Generic Discontinued CII ⚠ Discontinued by firm ⇄ Compare with another NDC
🗂️ FDA directory synced Oct 1, 2026 · this listing last changed Mar 13, 2024 · sources: openFDA · FDA label (DailyMed) · FDA Orange & Purple Book · First Databank · CMS NADAC, ASP, Medicare & Medicaid · RxNorm
📋 All sources & update times →

This page is curated, coded, and maintained by

Compiled from public FDA, CMS, DailyMed, NADAC, and related drug data sources. Editorial policy

NDC database record

One package, one record: these facts belong to NDC 17478-181-20 alone.

Record
FDA NDC Directory package listing · Human prescription drug
Code segments
17478 labeler · 181 product · 20 package
Barcode (UPC-A, from the NDC)
3 1747818120 0
FDA record last changed
Mar 13, 2024
⚠️
Excluded from the active FDA NDC Directory. The labeler reported this product as discontinued, so it is excluded from the active NDC Directory. The listing was last certified through Oct 2025. A label may still appear on DailyMed, but the NDC is no longer in the current FDA NDC Directory. Search the FDA NDC Directory ↗

Identity & classification

Regulatory identifiers FDA, NLM and CMS codes for this package

FDA NDC (as labeled) 17478-181-20
Product NDC 17478-181
11-digit billing NDC 17478018120
NCPDP billing unit ML — per mL (volume)
Application # ANDA083246
DEA schedule CII
Marketing category ANDA
Marketing status Discontinued
FDA listing status Discontinued by firm (certified through Oct 2025)
Route INTRAMUSCULAR; INTRAVENOUS
Dosage form INJECTION
Substance PENTOBARBITAL SODIUM
TE code (Orange Book) AP · RLD · RS

Drug-database identifiers Medi-Span GPI and First Databank GCN / HICL / AHFS classification

GCN Seq No 003623
GCN 13132
HICL code 001568
Ingredient (HICL) Pentobarbital Sodium
HIC1 code H
Therapeutic class — broad (HIC1) Nervous System (Except Autonomic)
HIC2 code H2
Therapeutic class — intermediate (HIC2) Psychoactive Drugs
HIC3 code H2D
Therapeutic class — specific (HIC3) Barbiturates
AHFS code 28:24.04.00
AHFS class Barbiturates (Anxiolytic, Sedative/Hyp)
FDB label name NEMBUTAL SODIUM 1,000 MG/20 ML
FDB brand name Nembutal Sodium
Legend status F — Federal legend — prescription drug or device
Quick answers
  • GSN (GCN sequence number): 003623
  • GCN: 13132
  • HICL (First Databank): 001568
  • AHFS class code: 28:24.04.00
Why two NDCs? The FDA registers this code as 17478-181-20 — a 5-3-2 layout, and that's what's printed on the package and shown on DailyMed. For insurance claims, every NDC is standardized to a uniform 11-digit 5-4-2 format by adding a zero to the product segment → 17478-0181-20. Same drug, same package — only the format differs.
Where does this data come from?
Identifiers from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Structured Product Labeling; RxCUI from RxNorm (NLM); GPI from Medi-Span; GCN / HIC / AHFS / legend from First Databank.

Clinical

Label name NEMBUTAL SODIUM 1,000 MG/20 ML Ingredient Pentobarbital Sodium

Supplement & herbal interactions

🌿 Drug–supplement interaction checker →
1
Nutrient depletion considerations

Pentobarbital may be associated with lower levels of 1 nutrient — worth a chat with your pharmacist, not a cause for alarm.

🧪 Full Pentobarbital nutrient depletion report →
An association is not a deficiency. Educational only — don't start or stop anything without professional guidance.
Where does this data come from?
Plain-language summary from MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine); supplement & herbal interactions and nutrient depletion data from the Natural Medicines database; our full guide is HelloPharmacist editorial content.

Pricing

A drug doesn't have one price. Each row is a different public payment system, and none is what you'd pay at the counter — that depends on your insurance. The ⓘ on each row explains what it measures.

Price systemPer eachPer package
Retail pharmacies payNADAC · weekly Not in the retail survey — common for institutional, discontinued, or low-volume packs.
Medicaid paysCMS SDUD · 12 mo No recent Medicaid claims on file for this NDC — rare and low-volume NDCs are suppressed in the public data.
Medicare drug plans payPart D · quarterly No Part D plan price is available for this NDC in our data.
Medicare Part B allowsASP · J2515 No ASP payment limit on file for J2515 this quarter.
ℹ️
No price is published for this exact package yet. CMS surveys NADAC per package size, so a different pack of the same drug often has one.
Where does this data come from?
NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) is the CMS weekly pharmacy-acquisition-cost survey — what pharmacies pay. ASP (Average Sales Price) is the CMS Medicare Part B drug-payment file, published quarterly. Medicaid pays is computed by us from CMS State Drug Utilization Data (total reimbursed ÷ units, trailing 12 months) — gross of rebates and inclusive of dispensing fees, so it reflects what Medicaid paid, not an acquisition cost. Medicare drug plans pay is the median negotiated point-of-sale unit cost across plans listing this NDC in the CMS quarterly Prescription Drug Plan pricing files, before rebates. The VA pays is the federal contract price (FSS, and the statutory Big 4 ceiling where listed) from the VA National Acquisition Center pharmaceutical price file. All are free public government data; each measures a different payer, so the figures are not directly comparable.

Billing & reimbursement

FDA NDC (as labeled)17478-181-20
11-digit billing NDC17478-0181-20
Format5-3-2 as registered → padded to 5-4-2 for billing (zero added to the product segment)
HCPCS J-codeJ2515
DescriptorINJECTION, PENTOBARBITAL SODIUM, PER 50 MG
Billing units / pkg1 units
How the units are derivedThis package is 20 ML; the HCPCS unit is 50 MG, so one package = 1 billing unit.
Crosswalk sourcePDAC NDC-HCPCS crosswalk (DME MAC / DMEPOS)
Where does this data come from?
The HCPCS J-code crosswalk comes from the CMS ASP NDC-HCPCS crosswalk and the DMEPDAC (DME MAC) NDC-HCPCS crosswalk — free public CMS data. Billing units are derived from the code’s descriptor and the package amount.

Packaging — all sizes for this product

Package NDCDescription Marketing startMarketing endStatus
17478-0181-20 You're viewing this Main listing 1 VIAL, MULTI-DOSE in 1 CARTON / 20 mL in 1 VIAL, MULTI-DOSE 2019-01-17 — Discontinued by firm

Therapeutic equivalents

ProductLabelerPackNADAC/unitTEStatusPrice vs. this
Pentobarbital Sodium 50 mg/mLthis 17478-0181-20 Akorn 1 vial — AP Discontinued —
About this product: this is a generic version of the medicine. FDA equivalence ratings are shown when available, and other versions are listed above, least expensive first.
Where does this data come from?
Equivalents are other NDCs of the same ingredient, form and route from the openFDA NDC Directory, ranked least-expensive-first by NADAC. Therapeutic-equivalence (AB) ratings come from the FDA Orange Book; biologics use the FDA Purple Book for biosimilar & interchangeable status.

Availability & generic status

📍
2026
Currently FDA-listed
listed with the FDA
🔓
·
Generic on the market
this product is a generic
✅This is a generic drug

This product is an FDA-approved generic. Other versions of the same drug are listed under Therapeutic equivalents, least expensive first.

Where does this data come from?
Patents and exclusivity from the FDA Orange Book (small-molecule drugs), refreshed from public FDA data. Generic launch timing is an estimate, not a guarantee.

Inactive Ingredients / Excipients

Inactive ingredients, also called excipients, are components of the drug product other than the active ingredient. They may include fillers, dyes, coatings, preservatives, flavors, or other formulation ingredients.

Loading inactive ingredients from the official FDA label in the background. No external source is being called by this page request.
Where does this data come from?
Source: official FDA Structured Product Labeling (SPL) via DailyMed and the openFDA label index. Structured IACT rows and label-wide narrative are kept separate; availability and product-level specificity depend on the submitted label.

Inactive ingredient FAQ

Are inactive ingredients the same for every manufacturer?
No. Inactive ingredients can differ by manufacturer, dosage form, strength, and package / product version.
Why might an inactive ingredient be missing?
Some SPLs do not provide a complete structured inactive-ingredient list, and older or unusual labels may only include the information in narrative text.
Can inactive ingredients matter?
Yes. They can matter for allergies, intolerances, dyes, gluten / lactose concerns, preservatives, and formulation differences — but confirm with a pharmacist or the manufacturer when it’s clinically important.

Manufacturer & labeler

LabelerAkorn
Application holderRISING PHARMA HOLDINGS INC
FDA applicationANDA083246 (ANDA)
Labeler code17478
DEA scheduleCII
Product typeHuman Prescription Drug
Portfolio3 products on file
The labeler markets the product; the application holder owns the FDA approval. They’re often the same company but can differ (e.g. a repackager or an authorized generic). A mailing address / phone appears here when the manufacturer includes it in the product’s FDA label (not all do).
Where does this data come from?
Labeler, application holder and registered establishment from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Drugs@FDA; address/contact from the product’s FDA label.

Full prescribing information FDA SPL

The complete FDA label for this product — the official prescribing information, verbatim, section by section. Jump with a chip, search within the label, or expand everything.
📄 FDA label
📄 FDA label 19 words ▾

No FDA label is on file for this product yet. Labels load from openFDA / DailyMed and refresh weekly.

Source: FDA Structured Product Labeling, mirrored from DailyMed / openFDA.

Reported adverse events (FAERS)

Read carefully: FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified. Counts are not incidence, do not establish causation, are subject to reporting bias, and cannot be used to compare one drug to another. Shown for signal context only. Reports for Pentobarbital Sodium — the ingredient across all brands.

Top reported reactions

Oxygen Saturation Decreased47
Procedural Complication14
Aspiration13
Cardiac Arrest10
Haemodynamic Instability10
Toxicity To Various Agents7
Completed Suicide5

Age at onset

Child1
Adult4
Elderly1

Reporter sex

93 reports
Male · 38%
Female · 51%
Unknown · 10%

Serious outcomes

Hospitalization16
Death11
Life-threatening2
Disabling1
Reports over time (by year) — tap or hover for the count & year
2019 2021 2023 2026 5 0
Most recent year is provisional (FAERS lags ~3 months).
Where does this data come from?
Adverse-event reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA. FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified — counts are not incidence and don’t establish causation.

About this NDC listing & data coverage

Finished prescription product No longer marketed (per FDA listing data)
What data is (and isn’t) available for this NDC — tap to expand
NDC identity (package / product / labeler codes) ✓ Available
Labeler ✓ Available
Product & package description ✓ Available
Marketing category & status ✓ Available
Active ingredient / dosage form / route ✓ Available
FDA label (SPL via DailyMed) — Not published for this NDC No structured label is linked to this listing in DailyMed/openFDA.
Package photos — Not published for this NDC No photo available yet for this listing.
Inactive ingredients (structured) — Not published for this NDC The labeler did not submit a structured excipient list, or no SPL is available.
NADAC pharmacy acquisition price (CMS) — Not published for this NDC CMS publishes NADAC only for NDCs reported in its retail-pharmacy survey.
Orange Book / therapeutic-equivalence data ✓ Available
HCPCS J-code billing crosswalk ✓ Available
Medicaid utilization (CMS SDUD) — Not published for this NDC CMS reports utilization only for NDCs with Medicaid claims above its privacy threshold.
“Not published” reflects what the public FDA / CMS / NLM sources provide for this exact package code — it is a property of the data feeds, not a judgment about the product.

Questions about this listing

Why is there no price listed?
The pricing shown on our NDC pages comes from CMS NADAC, a voluntary survey of retail community pharmacy invoices. CMS does not publish a NADAC for every NDC — packages outside the retail survey (institutional and hospital products, bulk packages, discontinued items, and many OTC items) may never receive one. A missing price reflects the survey's scope, not this product's actual cost, and does not mean the product is free or unavailable.
Why is there no full label on this page?
No structured FDA label (SPL) is currently linked to this NDC in DailyMed/openFDA. That can happen with older listings, certain OTC and repackaged products, and recently updated listings whose label has not yet propagated. The listing itself is still valid — this page shows everything the public feeds provide for this package.
What does the discontinued status mean for this NDC?
The labeler reported a marketing end date (or the listing was delisted), so this specific package is no longer actively marketed. Remaining stock may still be dispensed for a time, and the NDC stays valid for historical records and claims — but data feeds (pricing, labeling) typically stop updating for it. Other package sizes or other manufacturers' versions of the same medication may still be marketed — see the equivalents section where available.
Is the NDC printed on the package the same as the 11-digit billing NDC?
Yes, they identify this exact package in different formats. The form printed on the packaging and shown on DailyMed is the one the FDA registered. Insurance claims use a fixed 11-digit 5-4-2 format, so the short segment is padded with a leading zero and the dashes are dropped. The Identity section at the top of this page lists each form of this code.
Who lists this product with the FDA?
Akorn is the labeler of record for this NDC — the company under whose FDA-assigned code the package is listed. The labeler may be the manufacturer itself or a distributor marketing the product under its own code.
Do I need a prescription for this product?
This NDC is listed with FDA as a prescription product, so it is dispensed under a prescriber's order. Your pharmacist can tell you whether any over-the-counter forms of the same medication exist.
Does this product have a billing J-code?
Yes — this NDC cross-references HCPCS code J2515 for medical-claim billing (typically used when a product is administered in a clinical setting rather than dispensed at a retail pharmacy). See the Billing section on this page.
This page identifies an FDA-listed package (the NDC) and reports public regulatory and pricing data about the listing. It is reference information, not a medical recommendation — talk to your pharmacist or prescriber about your own medication.
Where does this data come from?
Listing facts (marketing category, packager status, marketing dates) from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory; label availability from DailyMed; pricing coverage from CMS NADAC; equivalence scope from the FDA Orange Book.
← 17445-6034-00 · Sigma-Aldrich 17504-0007-02 · Lonza →
For educational and professional reference only — not medical advice. Pricing reflects published NADAC and CMS ASP (free public data) and may differ from your acquisition cost; always verify before billing or dispensing.