Annual Report 2009-2010 - GS1

To support the immediate implementation of the Global
Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN) in healthcare and
allow the proper registration of any healthcare product
in GDSN, GS1 has released two new Global Product
Classification (GPC) brick codes, one for drugs and
another one for medical devices.
Healthcare reform creates needs and opportunities
In light of a variety of concerns about patient safety and
about rapidly escalating healthcare costs, governments
worldwide are taking action and important policy
changes are on the way. Some of them will have a direct
impact on the healthcare supply chain. Various authorities
worldwide have developed, or are developing, regulations
requiring automatic identification, serialisation and
traceability systems in healthcare to improve patient
safety – including the European Commission, the US
Food and Drug Administration, ANVISA (the National
Health Surveillance Agency in Brazil), the Turkish Ministry
of Health, the Chinese SFDA and the Indian Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare. GS1 standards can provide a
global framework that takes into account all these kinds of
specific requirements for medical products.
Addressing public issues
One important part of our work is accomplished by
our Public Policy Work Group, which exists in order
to provide strategic leadership in the conduct and
interaction with global public policy makers and
government authorities, and to influence the movement
towards harmonisation of product identification,
data synchronisation and traceability requirements
in alignment with GS1 Global Standards. As part of its
outreach and communication efforts, the Public Policy
team has developed position statements, fact sheets
and a number of official responses to national regulatory
bodies. The work group has also developed the Public
Policy Database, a comprehensive, online repository of
regulatory and user requirements worldwide.
The year ahead: Driving implementation
Although more standards development work is still
underway, today, with GS1 standards now in place for over
90% of all medical products, the focus has switched from
standards development to standards implementation.
The extensive network of GS1 Member Organisations
(MOs) will lead that charge, driving adoption in their
local healthcare community and supporting the
implementation of these standards in healthcare. As of
August 2010, 21 GS1 MOs have already established a
local user group, bringing together all local supply chain
stakeholders and helping them boost patient safety and
efficiency.
Join the work and be part of this important activity. Read
more about GS1 Healthcare’s activities, accomplishments,
work groups and user groups at www.gs1.org/healthcare.
In particular, be sure to download the 2010 edition of
the GS1 Healthcare Reference Book, a compendium
of information on the adoption and implementation
of GS1 global standards in the healthcare supply chain.
In it, experts from different countries and different
backgrounds share their insights on important regulatory
and industry developments,
adoption initiatives, lessons learnt
from implementation projects and
more.
Download our brochure of
healthcare sector case studies
from www.gs1.org/ healthcare/
library.
GS1 Industry Engagement
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