Manufacturers & Distributors

Global Trade Item Number is the unique product identifier/barcode found on most medical device, pharmaceutical and retail packages. 

As a distributor, the manufacturer or packager will most likely have provided GTINs for their products.

In the case of classified devices, a GS1 Standards can be used to comply with regulatory regulatory requirements, for example, UDI (Unique Device Identification) and FMD (Falsified Medicines Directive).

Added to this, GTINs are increasingly featured as a requirement as a part of tendering processes.

Patient safety is the key driver for the use of GTINs. The use of unique identifiers enables the ability to recall, patient level costing, inventory management and regulation is now requiring that all medical devices and pharmaceuticals have a barcode.

Across the Irish healthcare system, many traceability processes are paper based. These are time consuming and manual. There are issues with different codes being used for the same product, and there are compliance issues and interoperability issues between legacy software systems.

The HSE is adopting industry best practice for improved patient safety, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.

The use of GTINs and unique product identification enables; increased traceability and recall management, shared services, scanning at patient bedside and, patient level costing.

“The best unique identifier is the barcode and we see this as the single most reliable piece of information,” said John Swords, who spoke about the work being done in the National Distribution Centre (NDC) to standardise information using the UDI/GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) as the unique identifier in the HSE systems at a GS1 Ireland HUG event. 

The most efficient and accurate method would be using a handheld scanner and software to capture and match GTINs to products in your catalogue. GS1 Ireland can guide you in the right direction in managing your product catalogue in respect to GTINs and master data.

Yes. Single and multiple unit packages, cases and boxes all require a different GTIN.

Each item will have the same GTIN, and each pack will have a different GTIN.

GS1 Global provide a tool Verified by GS1 where you can check the official owner of a GS1 GTIN.

If you require further assistance, please contact us, and we can aid you in engaging with your suppliers.

Barcodes not only identify products- they can also people (GSRNs), places (GLN’s) assets (GIAI’s) and shipments  (SSCCs). The use of global standards to uniquely identify these can ensure the delivery of the right products to the right locations, improve throughput efficiencies and facilitate accurate tracking of sales.