Factors that Affect the Reading of the GS1 Data Bar Printed on the Press-through-package of the Oral Medicine

Abstract

　In recent years, barcodes have come to be printed on the package units for dispensing of all medicines as part of drug safety measures. Of these, the GS1 data bar printed on PTP packaging is in a special printing environment. We examined the factors that affect the readability of barcodes. As a result, “framed”, “printing in sheet center”, and “pitch printing” were significant reading factors as the printing environmental factors. As a bar code quality characteristic factor, “ECmin” and “Decode” were significant readable factors. In the ISO grade classification of the bar code quality, the readability threshold was confirmed in the range of higher grades such as grades A and B. The readability of GS1 data bars printed under special environments such as PTP packaging may be difficult to predict from existing indicators and quality grade classifications.