Almost three years on from the appearance of a novel coronavirus that swept across the world, the issue of what has permanently changed and what is returning to a pre-Covid ‘normality’ remains the source of considerable debate. Can the spirit of innovation which flourished in response to the early waves of the pandemic continue?
It is a spirit which has further advanced the use of GS1 standards in healthcare. Faced with unprecedented challenges, health organisations around the world have more strongly and urgently embraced the idea of tracking and tracing items and activity.
Unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment in the early waves of the pandemic, for instance, demonstrated the value of being able to more precisely manage consumables. The rollout of vaccines showed how important it is to be able to track vital medical supplies and so use them in the most effective way possible. And as antivirals become part of treating those at highest risk of serious illness from Covid-19, the need to be able to quickly identify and remove counterfeit drugs from supply chains also becomes clearer.
This year’s GS1 Healthcare Reference Book therefore reveals how barcode scanning is becoming an increasingly central plank of healthcare processes in countries around the world.
It includes a report on work at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust - the only UK project to make this year's book.
Read GS1 Healthcare Reference Book 2022-2023
Date: 28 November