UNSPSC 51461540: Ephedra

This classification is an herbal drug, a product which US FDA regulates as an active or moiety under Unique Ingredient Identifier 51QBA3IQ91, and which bears Integrated Taxonomic Information System Serial Number 505858. European Medicines Agency schedules Safrole in its eXtended EudraVigilance Medicinal Product Dictionary or XEVMPD under Index SUB13682MIG. Under the World Customs Organization Harmonised System, ephedra is scheduled in 13021920.

UNSPSC 51461540 Ephedra is a Commodity code under which state and local governments procure pharmaceutical and over-the-counter products through cooperative purchasing agreements and multi-source pharmaceutical contracts. The scope of work includes the supply and distribution of generic pharmaceuticals, OTC products, and related pharmaceutical goods to state agencies, local government facilities, and participating members of cooperative purchasing alliances. Issuing bodies for this code include state departments of administration, cooperative purchasing organizations, and the member jurisdictions they serve—states, counties, cities, and special-purpose districts that participate in multi-state or regional pharmaceutical purchasing consortia. The Minnesota Multistate Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (MMCAP), administered by the Minnesota Department of Administration's Office of State Procurement, represents a primary recent buyer; cooperative purchasing vehicles are the dominant acquisition model.

The code shows recent activity concentrated in the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest. The Minnesota Department of Administration issued MMCAP's Request for Proposal on January 20, 2026, seeking multiple contracts for generic multi-source pharmaceuticals and OTC products to be distributed across participating state and local government facilities, including Oregon. The RFP, due March 26, 2026, requires vendors to supply products through three authorized wholesalers (AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation/Cencora, Cardinal Health, and Morris & Dickson Co.), provide comprehensive pricing indexed to National Drug Codes, maintain compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act, and accept a 3 percent administrative fee on contract purchases. Award is expected effective July 1, 2026. The procurement uses a weighted evaluation model emphasizing price competitiveness (75 percent), with the remainder split among fixed pricing, EDI capability, administrative compliance, and pricing structure flexibility. Vendors must carry commercial general liability insurance of $5,000,000 per occurrence and professional liability of $2,000,000.