Pharmacy Corner
RESOURCES FOR PHARMACY

26/02/2010

ISMP and CPSI Announce Draft Pharmaceutical Bar Coding Guidelines

ISMP Canada and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) announced the completion of draft voluntary guidelines for bar coding of pharmaceutical products in Canada and jointly endorsed the adoption of the GS1 global standard for automated identification. The announcement marked the completion of Phase 2 of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Bar Coding Project that began in 2008 with the aim of enhancing safety in the healthcare system through the use of automated identifiers.

The draft voluntary guidelines were developed by a 34-member Technical Task Force comprising stakeholders from six health sectors including regulators, professional organizations, institutional and retail pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The Joint Technical Statement on Pharmaceutical Automated Identification and Product Database Requirements outlines draft technical requirements for Canadian pharmaceuticals including recommended products to be bar coded; content, symbology and placement of barcodes and a timeline for adoption of these standards across health sectors.

PPC is proud to support the Canadian Pharmaceutical Bar Coding Project and its shared vision for a safer healthcare system.

For more information please visit www.ismp-canada.org/barcoding