There are several identification keys used in healthcare. Some standards are the same as those found in retail, but some have specific applications for healthcare where patients' lives matter.
GS1 standards are open, global, proven and simple.
- Open, technology-independent standards enable full interoperability and compatibility. End users are not tied to proprietary solutions and R&D resources can be released for other value-added developments once standards are adopted.
- Healthcare is by nature a global industry, with supply chains that often cross borders. A globally standardised traceability system, from production to patient treatment, is imperative to meet the increasing regulatory requirements for product traceability around the world. In the case of cross-border trade, a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) can be used to identify that product in any country without any restrictions or errors.
- The GS1 system is one that has proven its robustness over the past 30+ years in various sectors worldwide.
Standards used for identification in the healthcare sector:
Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) - Product codes
Do I need to allocate a new GTIN if I change my packaging or make any changes to my product?
Check the specific GTIN allocation rules for the healthcare sector or download the guide.
Unique Device Identifier (UDI)
What is a UDI? Which standards should be used?
Global Location Number (GLN) - Location codes
How can I identify legal entities, such as a hospital, a supplier, a pharmacy or physical entities like the operating room, a warehouse with a GLN?
Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) - Pallets with product codes
How to create identification numbers for pallets of products?
Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) - Assets with codes
How can you uniquely identify and manage assets such as wheelchairs or beds?
Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI) - Logistic carrier codes
How do you create identification numbers for pallets, crates and other reusable carriers?
Global Service Relation Number (GSRN) & Service Relation Instance Number (SRIN) - Relationship codes
How can you uniquely identify your relationships with individual service providers (doctors, nurses, etc.) and individual service clients (patients)?
Global Model Number (GMN) - Product model codes
How to identify a product model or product family?
Global Document Type Identifier (GDTI) - Document codes
How can I identify documents?