Patient safety
and clinical areas, a prerequisite for managing shortages effectively. NHS England’s Digital Medicines Programme explicitly includes improving how medicines are tracked from production all the way to the patient. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has joined the call for regulatory changes to mandate 2D barcodes and include GTIN information in the licensing process. These ambitions align directly with the NHS 10-Year Health Plan. Barcode mandation is not a technical project that sits alongside that
strategy: it is a prerequisite for it. A mandate can be delivered by focusing
on three things: pack-level identification that consistently encodes product identifier, batch and expiry for every saleable unit; print quality verification on production samples; and real-world scan testing across representative scanners, cabinets and robotic systems before product ships. This does not introduce new technology into hospitals. It ensures the information that systems already need is present on every UK pack and works first time. For clinical leaders, this means reduced
risk in everyday workflows without increased workload. For pharmacy teams, faster recalls, fewer workarounds and better stock control. For digital and automation teams, a greater return on existing investment. For patients and their families, safer care with fewer avoidable delays. And at system level, the kind of visibility from wholesaler to bedside that makes smarter allocation during shortages not just possible but routine. The chain works when every link holds. Two- dimensional barcodes on every medicine pack are how you make that happen. GS1 UK stands ready to support policy makers, NHS England, the MHRA and industry in turning that into practice.
About the author
George Lawton has more than twenty-five years of experience in healthcare, spanning surgical, oncology, and homecare nursing, as well as multiple sectors within a large healthcare organisation. As Head of healthcare at GS1 UK, she
leads the adoption of GS1 standards among healthcare organisations and suppliers across the four nations, while also sharing best practices on an international scale. Passionate about driving improvements in patient safety and efficiency, she is committed to fostering innovation and collaboration within the healthcare sector.
CSJ
Better traceability starts with better data
Point of care inventory management and patient level traceability
Patient level traceability
Capture usage against the patient and procedure.
Faster product recall
Identify affected products quickly.
Procedure level costing
Understand the true cost of care.
Less duplicate data entry
Capture information once.
Real time inventory management
Maintain accurate stock levels.
Automated replenishment
Support purchasing and reordering.
Capture Once, Use Often
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www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I October 2026
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info@htrak.com
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