As we wrap up 2022, we’re reflecting on the year that was and looking ahead to 2023. In 2022, the Healthcare and Pharmacy Boards, along with the Healthcare Advisory Council, continued to advance critical strategic priorities aimed at improving the safety, efficiency and sustainability of Canada’s healthcare system. It was a tremendous year of accomplishments on the road to enacting the vision of a clinically integrated healthcare supply chain in Canada. We’re also reflecting on the global implementation success stories shared at the 37th Global GS1 Healthcare Conference. Welcome to the last issue of the year!
The boards unanimously approved the 2023 Objectives, Goals, Strategies and Measures (OGSM) that will spearhead a variety of critical initiatives. Some of the work in focus for the coming year is outlined below.
Canada’s healthcare system continues to build on the momentum of the Roadmap to a Clinically Integrated Supply Chain. The roadmap provides guidance to healthcare stakeholders on taking a global standards-based approach to clinical and non-clinical digital workflows that include the adoption of:
These enabling factors advance the vision of every patient record incorporating the common global supply chain language in the form of standards and accurate data that establish the foundation of:
Project Enhanced Data Integrity for Patient safety advances the Pharmacy Board’s stand on zero tolerance for errors once data reaches patient care. The pharmacy community continues to champion this project. With over 9,340 products submitted by 220 vendors and 114,800 images captured, the output of this critical initiative fuels digital workflows that move from pharmaceutical product sourcing to prescription dispensing, then to patient care, and on to medical record traceability. For more information on ECCnet Pharmaceutical Content and how to get started, please contact info@gs1ca.org or 1-800-567-7084.
This project also includes a complete barcode audit at all packaging levels, establishing Canada’s benchmark for pharmaceutical barcoding and capturing of pharmaceutical weights and measures.
Foster support from government and professional practices. Directives led by these two important groups can advance the adoption of GS1 standards and registries in Canada’s healthcare system. We’re also eager to have support from these stakeholders as part of GS1 Canada’s community management process.
Execute awareness and engagement activities with healthcare stakeholders.
Last month, the 37th GS1 Healthcare Conference was hosted in Paris, France. The event showcased the advancements of GS1 adoption in health systems around the globe and the opening plenary was moderated by GS1 Canada Advisory Council member, Dr. Susan Moffatt-Bruce. As the session chair, Dr. Moffatt-Bruce presided over a panel on delivering powerful clinical outcomes globally, based on GS1 Standards. The panel featured representatives from the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine in Japan, and a pharmacist from the Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild in France.
The theme of the conference was Building on Solid Foundations. This hybrid event focused on efforts to implement the global standards that improve patient safety, supply chain security and efficiency. Presenters from across the globe shared their experiences and knowledge on subjects ranging from going live with digital healthcare delivery and preventing the proliferation of falsified medicines through traceability to the benefits of unique device identification for medical devices. Overall, it was an opportunity to showcase and discuss how standards help healthcare organizations, clinicians and patients alike, while also covering the latest regulatory developments and catching up with colleagues from around the world.
An inspiring component of the conference was the session Driving supply chain digital transformation in emerging markets. Participants from Rwanda, Malawi, Benin and the US spoke about the amazing work being done in developing African countries. The panel was an outstanding showcase of the critical work GS1 is doing in partnership with key agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development, the World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and more. For example, the first serialized vaccine scan in Africa was a milestone in improving patient safety by ferreting out the costly problem of counterfeit medical products.
Next year’s GS1 Global Healthcare Conference is scheduled to take place in São Paulo, Brazil from October 3 to 5, 2023.
GS1 Global will soon be presenting their latest healthcare webinar, Digital Transformation and Readiness for GS1 Standards. Canada’s digital hospital leadership will be featured with Mackenzie Health taking the stage. The presentation will discuss building systems to support patient safety, the link between healthcare and the supply chain when it comes to standards of care, and how the Mackenzie Health environment is directly affected by industry compliance. Join Mackenzie Health executives Altaf Stationwala (President & CEO), Susan Simao (Director, Pharmacy Services) and Pamela Richards (Program Manager, Surgical Services) for an engaging session guided by their expertise and knowledge. This session of the GS1 Healthcare Webinar Series is scheduled to take place December 20th at 9:30 am EST. Click here to register.
Did you miss the last webinar, Scan4Safety and GS1 Standards: the Calderdale and Huddersfield, NHS Foundation Trust Journey? The good news is that you can still access a recording here. Guest speakers Graham Walsh (Orthopaedic Consultant, Associate Medical Director & Chief Clinical Information Officer, Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust) and John Walsh (Account Manager - Healthcare and Public Sector at Zebra Technologies) discussed the current situation of GS1 implementation in an acute hospital. Learn more about the value of GS1 Standards regarding clinical processes and how to work with solution providers by reviewing this presentation.
The GS1 Healthcare Reference Book is out now! For more than 10 years, the books have showcased the many success stories related to GS1 Healthcare. The 2022-2023 edition features 15 of the most recent case studies that illustrate how global standards are transforming healthcare around the world. The case studies bring the implementation of GS1 Standards to life in hospitals, retail pharmacies and the healthcare sector at large in China, Denmark, the UK and other locations. You can look through a digital version of the GS1 Healthcare Reference Book and download the PDF here.
The final Pharmacy Deployment Committee meeting of 2022 took place on November 29. Tracy Gallina, Clinical Director, Product Quality for HealthPRO Procurement Services, presented the results of their recent barcoding readiness survey and activities advancing Canada’s roadmap to the adoption of GS1 DataMatrix barcodes. It was an exciting meeting and great to hear about HealthPRO’s firsthand experiences.
As 2022 ends and we reflect on our accomplishments and look ahead to 2023, we recognize this group is an outstanding opportunity for peer-to-peer sharing and education. There is no limit to membership, so if you’re not already engaged, reach out to see how you can contribute to the work of the deployment committee. Some examples of what was accomplished in 2022 include:
Community involvement is an important aspect of GS1 Canada’s pharmacy sector collaboration. If you or a member of your organization is interested in the Pharmacy Deployment Committee, please contact the committee facilitator, Angel Bhathal, Senior Director, Industry Relations – Pharmacy at angel.bhathal@gs1ca.org.
The Healthcare Deployment Committee had their last meeting of the year on November 22. At this meeting, David Loukras (Senior Executive Director, Strategic Operations) from Provincial Health Services Authority talked about Master Data Management (MDM) and how to leverage it for clinical systems to improve patient outcomes. The meeting was also an opportunity to understand the strategic focus of 2023 as approved by GS1 Canada’s Healthcare and Pharmacy Boards, as well as gain global standards adoption insights through peer-to-peer sharing of project implementation experiences and realities.
The Healthcare Deployment Committee continues to be a valuable opportunity for ongoing peer-to-peer sharing and education. We’d like to thank committee members for their contributions this year, which resulted in:
Community involvement is an important aspect of GS1 Canada’s healthcare sector collaboration. If you or a member of your organization is interested in the Healthcare Deployment Committee, please contact healthcare@gs1ca.org.
