During 2013, one of the most active sectors in implementing GS1 global standards system will be the health sector. Last year represented virtually the consolidation of large projects in this field today permitted in some countries, go to the massification of these initiatives or, in others such as Mexico, solid foundations for the realization of the first pilots.

In Mexico the torales issues on the agenda in the sector, will be focused primarily on the consolidation of a system of universal and efficient health through reforms in this area. The main areas will be working very specifically on improving procurement and distribution of medicines, in the correct prescription and medical institutions, and in making administrative processes more efficient institutions (Alatorre A., 2013). Whereas today the supply of health services in Mexico is still fragmented with a large private sector, mostly unregulated, and a public sector, divided into several vertically integrated institutions that fund and provide medical care, each covering different segments of the population with different schemes (OECD, 2012).

Over 30 working groups distributed throughout the world, GS1 has taken an important step in the sector in order to improve patient safety globally, and to obtain improvements throughout the supply chain. The areas in which it has been working in emphatic are:

• combating piracy drug, which is one of the issues most concern in regards to public safety, and in which GS1 has played a key role through traceability solution, providing unique identification of any product regardless of the country of destination or origin;

• data integration, benefit providers and industry organizations, and the patient himself, through the use of standard DataMatrix (two-dimensional code that helps improve the traceability of medicines and patient safety in hospitals);

• implementation for EDI (EDI for its acronym in English Electronic Data Interchange) in order to achieve “perfect order”, which consists of a fully automated process from order to payment without human intervention;

• master data synchronization is one of the well resulting achievements, emphasizing that all information that is under quality standards can be used and channeled into databases related standard unique device identifier (UDI for its acronym in English Unique Device Identification).

  Among the main benefits that have thrown implementations and pilots in this sector worldwide, worth noting a case in United States, in which a medical device manufacturer managed to achieve a reduction of 30% at the time of payment to around 500 products and reduce up 73% errors in purchase orders, thus achieving a significant reduction in inventory shortages; Another case is in a Dutch hospital who won 20% reduction in inventory, decreased 80% obsolete inventory and increasing patient safety; and secondly, the hospital chain Leeds Teaching Hospitals in the UK, achieved substantial savings in managing purchase orders and inventory with the acquisition of solutions of the GS1 System (GS1, 2012).

  Then some of the most emblematic cases of success are presented in various countries and regions worldwide, where GS1 has supported improving the aforementioned processes and which open many lines of work to explore in Mexico.

  Sources of interest

  • Alatorre, A. (16 January 2013). Health unify betting services. Reform, p. 3.
  • GS1 (2012). GS1 Annual Report 2011 – 2012. Brussels: GS1. Retrieved fromwww.gs1.org/services/publications/online
  • GS1 (2012). GS1 Healthcare Reference Book 2012/2013. Brussels: GS1
  • OECD (2012). Getting it right: a strategic agenda for reforms in Mexico. Mexico City: OECD. Retrieved fromwww.oecd.org/centrodemexico/Getting It Right EBOOK.pdf

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  If your organization is interested in participating in a pilot or implementation in Healthcare please contact Carlos Ramos, Manager of Research and Innovation in GS1 Mexico (cramos@gs1mexico.org).