Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7566

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Casteuble T.
HDMA Foundation report surveys industry's barcode readiness
HealthCare Distributor 2003; 55:(4):15,17

Abstract:

In this study, the types of pharmaceutical products that currently are being barcoded, by whom, at what level of packaging, with what information, in what symbology and data structure, and how much of the information is being captured at the dispensing level, was assessed. Manufacturers, distributors and pharmacists were surveyed. It was found that 96% of drug manufacturers report barcoding their products at some level of packaging, 24% report that all of their unit-of-use products are barcoded, and 43% expect to have barcoded all their unit-of-use products by the end of 2003. Nearly a quarter of distributors report having programs in place that help hospitals match barcoded product information with patient data, 11% repackage the product they receive for the purpose of adding bar codes, over 80% improve their warehouse operations through the use of barcoding, while nearly as 75% use them to verify product at receiving. Approximately 50% of chain and independent pharmacies use scanned bar codes to refill prescriptions, and between 43% and 51% use barcoding as part of the final verification process before a medication is dispensed.