| name | cleo-upc-lookup |
| description | Convert UPC barcodes to NDC and look up drug info. Triggered by "look up UPC 041100806024", "what drug is this barcode?", "Cleo, UPC lookup", or any request involving a UPC/barcode for a drug product. Also handles barcode images — extract the number using vision, then run the lookup. Returns the matched NDC, drug name, strength, form, route, therapeutic class, and indications. |
Cleo UPC-to-NDC Lookup
Quick Start
node /home2/cleo/.openclaw/workspace/skills/cleo-upc-lookup/scripts/upc_to_ndc.js <UPC> [--img-dir /tmp]
Accepts:
- 12-digit UPC-A (standard barcode):
041100806024
- 13-digit EAN-13:
0041100806024
- 10-digit raw NDC (if pre-extracted):
4110080602
The script derives up to 3 NDC-11 candidates by inserting a zero in each possible segment position, then looks up each against FDB until a match is found.
How UPC → NDC Works
A UPC-A barcode (12 digits) encodes an NDC like this:
UPC-A: P LLLLPPPPKK C
↑ ↑ ↑
prefix NDC-10 check digit
- Strip the leading prefix digit and trailing check digit → 10-digit raw NDC
- The 10-digit NDC needs one zero inserted to become the 11-digit NDC:
- Candidate 1:
0 + raw10 (zero prepended — labeler was 4 digits)
- Candidate 2: raw10[0..3] +
0 + raw10[4..] (zero in product segment)
- Candidate 3: raw10[0..7] +
0 + raw10[8..] (zero in package segment)
- Look up each candidate against FDB until a match is found
Handling Barcode Images
If the user sends a photo of a barcode instead of the number:
- Use the
image tool (vision model) to extract the UPC number from the image
- Prompt: "Read the barcode number from this image. Return only the digits, nothing else."
- Pass the extracted number to this script
Formatting the Response
Template
📦 **UPC {upc}** → NDC {matched_ndc}
**{brand_or_label}** ({generic_name}) — {strength} {dose_form}
- **Route:** {route}
- **Class:** {therapeutic_class_name}
- **Package:** {package_desc} ({pack_size})
- **DEA Schedule:** {schedule or "None"}
**Labeled Indications:**
- {indication 1}
- {indication 2}
**Off-Label Indications:**
- {indication 1}
Formatting Rules
- Show the UPC → NDC mapping prominently
- Format NDC with dashes:
41100-0806-02
- If
found: false, respond: "Could not find a drug match for UPC {upc}. The derived NDC candidates were: {list}. This UPC may not be a drug product, or it may not be in the FDB database."
- Pill image: If
image.saved_to exists in the result, save it to /home2/cleo/.openclaw/workspace/ and include MEDIA:./FILENAME.jpg on its own line at the end of your direct text reply (NOT inside a message tool card call). The MEDIA tag must be in your normal reply text to work. Do NOT use the message tool to send the image.
- Show which candidate matched in the response for transparency
Fallback Chain
- Direct NDC conversion (high confidence) — standard UPC→NDC encoding, FDB lookup
- UPC product database (medium confidence) — queries upcitemdb.com free API (100/day, no key, by IP)
- Identifies the product name, brand, description
- Extracts active ingredient from description (e.g. "ferrous sulfate 325 mg")
- Searches FDB by ingredient name to find matching drugs
- Not found (low confidence) — UPC not in product database either
The method and confidence fields in the output indicate which path was taken.
Dependencies
Uses cleo-ndc-lookup and cleo-drug-search skill scripts for FDB lookups. No additional npm dependencies needed.
