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the European Healthcare Initiative targets the pharmaceuticals industry to reduce risk through certainty
Geneva – 13th May 2003
As a key element of its European Healthcare Initiative, GS1, the global supply chain standards body, is exhibiting at Logipharma 2003. The standardisation of drug identification, bar coding techniques and associated electronic commerce messages through the use of GS1 standards, is a key objective for the Initiative and Logipharma is seen as a strategically important event to maximise its market exposure.
The European Healthcare Initiative was launched earlier this year by the European member organisations of GS1 to significantly increase the adoption of GS1 information standards – the GS1 System – in the healthcare market across Europe. Primarily concentrating on the supply chains to hospitals and community pharmacies, GS1 is convinced that the wide-spread adoption of its global standards of identification, bar coding and electronic commerce messaging in the European healthcare market, can significantly cut supply chain costs, reduce risk to patients and help improve patient care. Working with the pharmaceutical sector is a fundamental target for the Initiative.
Jim Bracken, Director of GS1 Ireland and Chairman of the European Healthcare Initiative Supervisory Board, explained: “As the leading pharmaceuticals event for Europe, we wanted to take a high profile at Logipharma. Whilst the GS1 System already has significant market penetration in the healthcare sector across Europe, we are determined to increase its usage to enable a safer and more certain supply chain, from manufacturer to patient, for the benefit of all. Following the recent US Food & Drug Administration proposed rule to adopt GS1 standards, including Reduced Space Symbology bar codes for unit dose marking of certain drugs and biologics, we are going to see a marked expansion of usage. Major pharma companies are already following the FDA lead. Use of the GS1 standards has a unique capability to not only bring increased certainty and efficiency in the pharmaceutical supply chains throughout Europe, but also to reduce patient risk and improve patient care. We have a unique market proposition for the European healthcare industry and Logipharma offers us the ideal channel to discuss it.”
GS1 (formerly EAN International)
The mission of GS1 and the Membership Organisations, is to take a leading role in establishing a global multi-industry system of identification and communication for products, services and locations based on internationally accepted and business led standards.
The objective is to improve the efficiency of integrated logistics while contributing added value to partners involved, as well as to consumers.
GS1 is a global organisation of over 100 independent national bodies -the Member Organisations - representing 145 countries. They support the needs of nearly one million member companies who conduct more than 5 billion transactions per day in 23 sectors of industry (including healthcare) using the standards.
Christian Hay (Switzerland) on +41 76 369 10 54 or email: hay@gs1health.net