IFA Coding System for Medical Devices

The IFA Coding System is an international standard developed by the Informationsstelle für Arzneispezialitäten (IFA) based in Germany. It was originally established to provide a standardized identification system for pharmaceuticals and medical products within the German healthcare market, primarily through the PZN (Pharmazentralnummer).

Under the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR), IFA was designated as an official Issuing Entity for Unique Device Identification (UDI). The system utilizes the Pharmacy Product Number (PPN) and the Health Product Code (HPC) to ensure that medical devices can be tracked and identified throughout the global supply chain, facilitating patient safety and regulatory compliance across the European Union and international markets.