What's in it for me?
Automatic identification and traceability help improve patient safety and also increase the efficiency, integrity and accuracy of healthcare supply chains.
This is achieved through:
- Automatic identification at point of care and robotic dispensing systems reduce medication errors.
- Traceability and authentication reduce counterfeiting and enable efficient and effective product recalls.
- Automatically capturing the unique identification of a product with a bar code or RFID tag at every stage makes supply chain management more accurate and efficient.
Hospitals and Pharmacies
- Reduction in medication errors through efficient automatic identification: The right medication is provided to the right patient at the right time, in the right dose and through the right pathway.
- Verification of patient identity which is critical for medication administration and treatment, especially surgery.
- Efficient product authentication and traceability.
- Health professionals have more time to consult with patients.
- Cost reduction through increased supply chain efficiency:
- improved order and invoice process,
- optimised receiving,
- reduced inventory,
- increased productivity,
- improved product recall,
- improved shelf management,
- improved service levels/fill rate,
- improved benchmarking and management of supply cost, and
- eliminates need for re-labelling and proprietary codes.
- Regulatory compliance (where applicable).
View Video on benefits to Hospitals and Pharmacies
Manufacturers
- Efficient traceability. Improved production process and supply chain management:
- optimisation of production process: improved work in process,
- optimisation of the packaging & labelling process: wherever possible, one data format that would allow global packages for machine-readable codes, and
- optimisation of warehousing and shipping.
- Brand protection.
- Regulatory compliance (where applicable).
View Video on benefits to Manufacturers
Wholesalers & Distributors
- Efficient traceability.
- Efficient product authentication.
- Simplification and accuracy improvement in order process, warehousing, shipping, and invoicing.
- Regulatory compliance (where applicable.
View Video on benefits to Wholesalers and Distributors
This is achieved by providing global, user-driven, open and proven standards:
- GS1 identification keys: numbering schemes for products, locations, patients, caregivers, and assets.
- GS1 bar codes: several types of bar code, linear and 2-dimensional, for use by GS1 members depending on the application.
- GS1 EPCglobal: supporting the use of radio frequency identification.
- GS1 Global Data Synchronisation: ensuring synchronized and accurate product data across supply chain partners.
- GS1 eCOM: supporting electronic document interchange technologies.
