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Building patient safety in the US

GS1 Healthcare US was formed in January, 2008 to support U.S. healthcare industry patient safety and supply chain efficiency goals. Since that time, membership has grown to 112 healthcare companies representing all areas of the supply chain.

GS1 Healthcare US is structured around five active workgroups:
1. Product Identification (GTIN)
2. Location Identification (GLN)
3. Global Data Synchronization Network Implementation
4. Traceability Adoption
5. Application & Implementation
 

These workgroups, with the number of participants ranging from 34 to 119, meet weekly via teleconference and hold two face-to-face meetings throughout the year to drive adoption and implementation activities. Some of the major accomplishments include the following:

1. Developed a guiding implementation model “Building Patient Safety” that illustrates the foundational GS1 standards (GTIN, GLN, GDSN) used to achieve patient safety and supply chain efficiency.

2. Established two key adoption dates with associated plans and measures that the U.S. healthcare community is working towards: 2010 GLN Sunrise and 2012 GTIN Sunrise.

3. Developed numerous educational and implementation tools, including:

• Online Healthcare Provider and Supplier Tool Kits (How-to Guides for GLN, GTIN, GDSN, and UNSPSC)
• "C” Level Provider Awareness Brochure

Note - All of the tools developed, too numerous to mention here, are listed on the GS1 Healthcare US website at www.gs1us.org/healthcare.

4. Developed a GDSN “early adoption” program that resulted in 27 healthcare participants in the GDSN this year.

5. Supported development of industry surveys to determine adoption benchmarks:

• The State of Healthcare Logistics: Cost and Quality Improvement Opportunities
• Material Management Information System (MMIS) Readiness

The survey reports are available on the GS1 Healthcare US website in the library.

6. A new traceability program has recently been launched. The “2015 Readiness Program” allows the simulation of various traceability scenarios in the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain and provides a reference model for companies to test their state of readiness for GS1 traceability systems.

The workgroups will continue to work towards the implementation of GS1 standards throughout 2010 and beyond. It is anticipated that GS1 US will be asked to take on more of a consultative role as more hospitals and small suppliers begin to implement the GS1 System.

GS1 Healthcare US has made tremendous progress in the last two years, but the real success will be in getting the U.S. healthcare community to use GTINs, GLNs, GDSN and GS1 traceability standards. GS1 System implementations have started in many U.S. healthcare companies. In 2010, we expect to see a significant increase in U.S. healthcare companies using GS1 standards. With the assistance of the GS1 Healthcare US workgroups, 2010 will be the year of implementation in the U.S. healthcare community.