teaser
Honeywell have announced that its full line of area-imaging scannersmeet the requirements of healthcare customers preparing for the plannedEU initiative that will require 2D bar codes on all pharmaceuticalpackaging within Europe.
The regulation aims to provide transparency and full traceability within the complex European supply chain.
TheEuropean Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and the EuropeanFederation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) haveboth called for a regulation that requires pharmaceuticals to carry a2D barcode on their packaging. After an extensive study by the EFPIA,2D barcodes were selected as the technology of choice due to theirability to store large amounts of information in limited amounts ofspace.
The pending legislation is designed to improve patientsafety by reducing the level of counterfeit medicine within theEuropean pharmaceutical supply chain. EU statistics released on 19 May2008 confirm that 4.1 million medicinal articles were detained at EUcustoms borders in 2007 – a 51% increase over the previousyear.
Hospitals and nurses can take further actionto improve patient safety by instituting processes to ensure what isknown as the five rights of patient safety: right patient, right drug,right time, right dose and right route of delivery.
The use ofbarcoding in healthcare settings can dramatically improve patientsafety. A US-based medical centre reported an 86% reduction inmedication errors over a nine-year period, since the implementation ofbarcoding.
“We offer a complete range of area-imaging barcodescanners, including industrial-grade scanners for the supply chain,disinfectant-ready housings for point-of-care in hospitals andhigh-throughput presentation scanners for point-of-sale in pharmacies,”said Philippe Buidin, EMEA marketing leader, Honeywell Scanning &Mobility.
“By meeting the needs of the anticipated packagingcode updates, Honeywell aims to further ensure a safe and secureEuropean pharmaceutical supply chain, and to provide our healthcarecustomers with the required solutions.”
