Key concepts
This page explains core domain concepts you'll encounter across the Medipim API. Understanding these will help you interpret responses and build your integration correctly.
Languages and localized fields
Some fields in the API — such as product names, descriptions, and category labels — are localized, meaning they can have a different value per language. The supported languages for your region are: nl,fr,en,de.
Localized fields are returned as a JSON object keyed by locale code:
{
"name": {
"nl": "Paracetamol 500mg",
"fr": "Paracétamol 500mg",
"en": "Paracetamol 500mg",
"de": "Paracetamol 500mg"
}
}
The object always contains all supported locales as keys. If a translation is not available for a given locale, the value will be null or an empty string.
Target groups
Product descriptions and media items (photos, frontals, and links) are scoped by target group. A target group represents a specific audience — this allows the same product to carry different descriptions and images depending on who is viewing it. For example, a pharmacist-targeted description may contain dosage and active ingredient details, while the public version focuses on general usage information.
In API responses, descriptions and media items include a targetGroups array listing the audiences the content is intended for. A single description or media item can belong to multiple target groups. The API returns only the content that matches the target groups your organization has access to — which target groups you can see depends on your subscription. Most integrators work with the public target group.
The available target groups are:
| Target group | Audience |
|---|---|
public | General public and consumers |
pharmacist | Licensed pharmacists |
doctor | Medical doctors |
nurse | Nursing professionals |
physiotherapist | Physiotherapists |
hospital | Hospital staff and procurement |
homecare | Home care providers |
webshop | E-commerce and webshop integrations |
Product identifier codes
Products on Medipim can be identified by several code systems. The available codes depend on the region.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
ean | European Article Number (GTIN) issued by GS1. A product can have multiple EAN codes. |
eanGtin8 | 8-digit Global Trade Item Number. |
eanGtin12 | 12-digit GTIN, typically used in the US and Canada. |
eanGtin13 | 13-digit GTIN, typically used outside the US and Canada. |
eanGtin14 | 14-digit GTIN. |
cnk | National code number assigned to medicines and parapharmaceutical products dispensed in pharmacies (Belgium). Always 7 digits. |
Use the get-product-fields endpoint to see which identifier codes and other fields are available in your region.
Product CTI code
The CTI (Common Technical Identifier) groups products where the product is identical except for the quantity or packaging — for example, a box of 20 tablets and a box of 50 tablets of the same medicine share the same CTI code.
CTI appears as two fields on a product response:
cti— the base CTI code identifying the product group.ctiExtended— a more specific variant that includes additional detail (e.g. packaging differentiation).
You can also use cti as a filter to retrieve all products in the same group.
Product descriptions
A product can have multiple descriptions, each with a different purpose. In the API response, each description is an object with the following key fields:
type— the description type, indicating what kind of content this is (e.g.full_description,usage,composition). See the table below for all types.descriptionTag— indicates who generated the content:user_generated(entered by the organization),system_generated(from an automated data source), orai_generated(produced by AI).targetGroups— which audiences this description is intended for (see Target groups above). A product can have different descriptions of the same type for different target groups.content— the localized text, keyed by locale (see Languages above).locales— which languages have content for this description.
Description types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
full_description | The main product description covering general information, features, and benefits. |
indication | Medical or therapeutic indications — what the product is used for. |
contra_indication | Conditions or situations where the product should not be used. |
usage | Instructions on how to use the product (dosage, application method, frequency). |
usage_extended | Extended usage instructions with additional detail beyond the standard usage field. |
usage_type | The type or method of use (e.g. oral, topical, injectable). |
composition | The ingredients or active substances that make up the product. |
properties | Key properties and characteristics of the product. |
side_effects | Known side effects or adverse reactions. |
interactions | Information about interactions with other medicines or substances. |
warnings | General warnings and precautions for use. |
pregnancy_description | Warnings and guidance specific to use during pregnancy. |
breastfeeding_description | Warnings and guidance specific to use while breastfeeding. |
nutritional_value | Nutritional information (relevant for food supplements and dietary products). |
measurements | Physical dimensions or size information. |
legal_text | Legally required text (e.g. regulatory notices, disclaimers). |
faq | Frequently asked questions about the product. |
keywords | Search keywords associated with the product. |
HTML content
Some text fields (such as product descriptions) may contain HTML markup. Only a limited set of HTML tags is allowed — any tags not listed below are stripped from the content.
| Tag | Allowed attributes |
|---|---|
<b> | — |
<i> | — |
<p> | style |
<table> | style, border |
<tbody> | — |
<thead> | — |
<tfoot> | — |
<tr> | — |
<th> | style, colspan, rowspan |
<td> | style, colspan, rowspan |
<ol> | — |
<ul> | — |
<li> | — |
<span> | style |
<strong> | — |
<em> | — |
<div> | class, style |
<h1> through <h6> | — |
<dl> | — |
<dt> | — |
<dd> | — |
<blockquote> | — |
<sup> | — |
<sub> | — |
When displaying description content in your application, make sure your rendering layer supports these tags. If you need plain text, strip the HTML tags on your side.
Country regions
Organizations on Medipim (specifically suppliers) can be associated with a country region — a geographic subdivision within the platform's country. These are based on the ISO 3166-2 standard, which defines codes for provinces, states, and other subdivisions (e.g. BE-BRU for Brussels, BE-VLG for Flanders, FR-IDF for Île-de-France).
Country region codes appear in the contactInformation.region field of organization responses. The set of valid codes depends on the platform region. See the organization endpoint documentation for details.