Q0163 HCPCS Level II code: Diphenhydramine hydrochloride, 50 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at time…
Q0163 is the HCPCS code for “Diphenhydramine hydrochloride, 50 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at time of chemotherapy treatment not to exceed…” in CMS’s October 2026 release, in effect from Oct 1, 2026.
Official description
Q0163Diphenhydramine hydrochloride, 50 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at time of chemotherapy treatment not to exceed a 48 hour dosage regimen
Short description: Diphenhydramine hcl 50mg
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with Q0163 in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Special coverage instructions apply
- Medicare pricing
- Drugs
- Type of service
- Medical care
- BETOS category
- Chemotherapy
- Coverage statute
- 4557
- Added
- Apr 1, 1998
Where Q0163 sits
- 1Q codesTemporary codes
- 2Active code Q0163Diphenhydramine hydrochloride, 50 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at time of chemotherapy treatment not to exceed a 48 hour dosage regimen
Source and release
- Data release
- HCPCS Level II · October 2026
- Effective date
- Oct 1, 2026
- Publisher
- CMS
This page is built from the HCPCS Level II catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s October 2026 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.
Frequently asked questions
What does HCPCS code Q0163 mean?
Q0163 is the HCPCS code for “Diphenhydramine hydrochloride, 50 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at time of chemotherapy treatment not to exceed a 48 hour dosage regimen” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Does Medicare cover Q0163?
CMS lists Q0163’s Medicare coverage as “Special coverage instructions apply” and its pricing as “Drugs”. Coverage and payment still depend on the patient, the setting, the documentation and the payer.
Which HCPCS Level II release does this page use?
It uses CMS’s October 2026 release, in effect from Oct 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.
Codes beside Q0163
All Q codesQ0138Injection, ferumoxytol, for treatment of iron deficiency anemia, 1 mg (non-esrd use)Q0139Injection, ferumoxytol, for treatment of iron deficiency anemia, 1 mg (for esrd on dialysis)Q0144Azithromycin dihydrate, oral, capsules/powder, 1 gramQ0155Dronabinol (syndros), 0.1 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at the time of chemotherapy…Q0161Chlorpromazine hydrochloride, 5 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at the time of chemotherapy…Q0162Ondansetron 1 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at the time of chemotherapy treatment, not to…Q0164Prochlorperazine maleate, 5 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at the time of chemotherapy…Q0166Granisetron hydrochloride, 1 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at the time of chemotherapy…Q0167Dronabinol, 2.5 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at the time of chemotherapy treatment, not to…Q0169Promethazine hydrochloride, 12.5 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at the time of chemotherapy…Q0173Trimethobenzamide hydrochloride, 250 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at the time of…Q0174Thiethylperazine maleate, 10 mg, oral, fda approved prescription anti-emetic, for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an iv anti-emetic at the time of chemotherapy…