UNSPSC 51282500: First generation cephalosporins

This classification denotes the original and first variety of medium-spectrum antibiotics originally isolated from the fungus cephalosporium acremonium, and which contain thia-azabicyclo-octenecarboxylic acid or 7-aminocephalosporanic acid, hence the term CEPHALOSPORIN.

UNSPSC 51282500 First generation cephalosporins is a Class code that in recent state and local procurement shows little activity aligned with its nominal scope. The two most recent opportunities tagged under this code involve pharmaceutical procurement by state health departments and county health authorities, but neither solicitation actually concerns cephalosporin antibiotics. The Illinois Department of Public Health awarded a piggyback pharmaceutical contract through MMCAP Infuse to Chartwell Rx LLC for Doxycycline Hyclate and Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride — neither of which are cephalosporins — while Seminole County, Florida issued an IFB for Naloxone and drug deactivation systems, which fall outside antibiotic procurement entirely. The tagging mismatch suggests either miscoding of these opportunities in the state and local procurement system or that health departments are using broad pharmaceutical codes to cast wider nets for unrelated medical products and supplies.

Activity under this code appears limited to state health departments and county-level health authorities in the Southeast and Midwest. The Illinois Department of Public Health contract with Chartwell Rx LLC, awarded in August 2026 for $2,999,999.11 across 12 months plus two renewal years, demonstrates scale in pharmaceutical logistics through cooperative purchasing vehicles, while the Seminole County IFB posted June 30, 2026 with response due July 26, 2026 reflects smaller-jurisdiction procurement of emergency medical supplies. The geographic spread spans Illinois and Florida based on recent activity, though the code's alignment with actual cephalosporin demand remains unclear from these records. Vendors pursuing this code should verify whether state and local health procurement offices actually use it for cephalosporin-specific solicitations or whether it serves as a catch-all pharmaceutical tag that masks the actual products being bought.