Barcode technology for health care pushed

MANILA, Philippines — Local barcode standards GS1 Philippines is advocating for the use of barcode technology in health care to streamline workflow for health professionals, enhancing patient safety.

“By using GS1 Standards, health manufacturers and distributors can record data in clinical systems, enhancing the speed and accuracy of data capture,” GS1 Philippines said.

It added that health care providers can leverage these barcodes for patient identification, medication administration, and tracking of medical supplies and equipment, optimizing inventory management and streamlining overall workflow.

GS1 Philippines is making this push for barcode technology use amid the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025 which highlights the transformative potential of digital transformation in health care.

It emphasized that technologies, like tools for data storage and exchange, remote data capture and virtual care are proven to enhance health outcomes by improving medical diagnoses, treatment decisions, digital therapeutics, clinical trials and fostering evidence-based knowledge for health care professionals.

“Building on this global vision, GS1 Philippines has been advocating for leveraging global standards and implementing barcode technology to enhance digital information accessibility for health care workers to attain efficient workflow and address medical supply chain inefficiencies,” GS1 Philippines said.

Pharmaceutical and Health care Association of the Philippines executive director Teodoro Padilla highlighted the safety features of using barcode technology in health care.

“Integrating barcode technology is not just about digitalization – it’s about creating a safer, more transparent health care system that improves patient care, reduces errors and ensures an efficient supply chain of authentic medicines and medical products, protecting patients from counterfeit goods,” said Padilla, who is also a trustee of GS1 Philippines.

To further elevate awareness about barcode technology in the sector, GS1 Philippines participated in the recent GS1 Health care Roadshow in Hong Kong, where health care professionals and administrators were introduced to the transformative potential of barcodes. The event showcased how barcodes streamline patient care by enabling accurate capture and automatic sharing of vital medical product information.

In addition, the organization also joined the GS1 Asia-Pacific Forum 2024, a regional event with over 150 delegates from GS1 Global and 16 Asia-Pacific economies. This forum provided training sessions on 2D barcodes, digital links and registries, emphasizing global digital transformation strategies and fostering stronger engagement with hospitals and health care providers.

GS1 Philippines said its initiatives align with the Department of Health (DOH) as challenges are recognized in digitalizing the country’s health care system and improving access to essential medicines. The department aims to make health care accessible to Filipinos through the integration of technology.

“At GS1 Philippines, we believe that adopting streamlined barcode technology in health care is crucial for enhancing patient safety and improving the efficiency of health care workflow. This innovation empowers health professionals to deliver better care by having a tool for data integration and interoperability,” GS1 Philippines president Roberto Claudio said.

Moreover, GS1 Philippines also visited the CUHK Medical Centre in Hong Kong to explore advanced smart medical technologies, including an automated system for health care workers and a vending machine that dispenses pre-programmed medical garments, highlighting data-driven efficiency and labor-saving innovations.

GS1’s global health care division, GS1 Health care, has been making efforts since 2008 to drive the adoption and implementation of GS1 Standards for patient safety and supply chain efficiency. Additionally, GS1 stakeholders also recognize the significant role of collaboration among health care partners in attaining improved patient outcomes.