A Role of Standardizing Medical Equipment Commodity Code and UCC/EAN-128 Bar Code That Medical Material Distribution Management Committee Played

Abstract

 An introduction of standardizing representation of commodity code and bar code of medical materials in a medical institution is an important topic in the improvement of hospital management and safety in medicine.

 In order to achieve this purpose, the medical material distribution management committee analyzed the status of database registration continuously as well as conducted a research regarding the awareness of the standardization in hospitals to clarify a direction of a specification representing the commodity code and bar code in the medical material industry and specification of medical material database constructed by Medical Information System Development Center Foundation (MEDIS-DC). Being aware of the standardization in hospitals, the standardization has been introduced rapidly in a large number of companies in the medical industry.

 In addition, this committee created a specification of two dimensional symbol (proposal) not only for the medical material but also for a surgical equipment such as small equipment made of stainless used for operation, and then proposed the standardization to the medical industry.

 We are certain that the necessity of representation by bar code and database registration is understood more because a primary distributor, who handles products derived from life and special maintenance medical equipment, is obliged to record and maintain the place where the medical material and medical equipment are delivered to, address, and items defined by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare by revision of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law after 2003.