UNSPSC 51373400: Combination opioid-containing antitussives and expectorants

This classification denotes combination drugs and preparations that do bind to opioid receptors, which do derive from opium or morphine, which are addictive, and which are narcotics, that a) suppress cough, hence the term ANTITUSSIVES; and/or b) increase mucous excretion, hence the term EXPECTORANTS. These drugs therefore bear the names OPIOID-CONTAINING ANTITUSSIVES AND EXPECTORANTS. Typical combination opioid-containing antitussive and expectorant constituents are codeine, dihydrocodeine, hydrocodone, morphine, etc.

UNSPSC 51373400 Combination opioid-containing antitussives and expectorants is a Class code that in recent state and local procurement shows little alignment with its nominal scope. The two most recent opportunities tagged under this code—a Washington Department of Corrections RFQ for parenteral products, services, and equipment (IV solutions, parenteral nutrition, controlled substances for incarcerated populations) and a Seminole County, Florida IFB for naloxone and drug deactivation systems—do not involve combination opioid-containing cough suppressant or expectorant formulations. The Washington solicitation emphasizes intravenous delivery systems and parenteral nutrition preparation with same-day or next-day turnaround; the Seminole County procurement addresses opioid antagonists and disposal systems for community health use. Neither opportunity reflects the code's stated pharmaceutical category.

The issuing bodies represent different state-level and county-level public health and correctional systems. The Washington Department of Corrections is soliciting across eight facilities in three regions (West, Central, and East) with anticipated awards to up to three contractors per region, while Seminole County seeks annual supply with quarterly deliveries to a single health facility. The Washington RFQ closes October 7, 2026, at 4:00 PM PST with a pre-bid conference on September 23, 2026, and includes set-aside goals for small, minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses; the Seminole County IFB closed in July 2023. The mismatch between code taxonomy and actual procurement scope suggests either miscoding at the issuing-body level or that the code category itself does not reflect current state and local purchasing patterns in this therapeutic area. Firms evaluating this code should verify actual procurement language in solicitation documents rather than relying on the UNSPSC descriptor alone.