High-Tech Health: How Electronic Supply Chain Management Will Transform Our Healthcare System
GS1 Canada Hosts International Conference to Examine Impact of Global Standards

Toronto, ON, June 18, 2008 – From June 17-19, 2008, GS1 Canada is hosting the GS1 Healthcare Conference, bringing together healthcare sector experts and speakers from across Canada and worldwide. Participants will discuss measures to improve electronic supply chain management in the healthcare sector and the capacity of global standards to enhance patient safety; safeguarding from counterfeit drugs, reducing medication errors, and tracking vital assets and equipment.

“There is huge opportunity for Canada to immediately enhance patient safety, reduce costs and increase sustainability in the healthcare system through global, standards-based electronic supply chain processes,” said GS1 Canada President and CEO N. Arthur Smith.  “We have already seen the benefits of global standards in other sectors; this conference positions the Canadian healthcare community to capitalize on this intelligence for the benefit of Canadian healthcare recipients.”

Leading Canadian and international healthcare providers, manufacturers, distributors, associations and government authorities such as Health Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Canadian Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) and Health Level Seven (HL7) will share their expertise and discuss pilots for the implementation of global standards for automatic identification, traceability and data synchronization across the international healthcare supply chain.

“Standards have the potential to revolutionize the international healthcare value chain,” noted GS1 Global Healthcare President Michel van der Heijden. “These processes have vast economic benefits, but more importantly, they support healthcare professionals in the delivery of quality care; ensuring that the right medication is matched with the right patient and that the location of critical equipment can always be easily identified.”

About GS1 Canada
GS1 Canada is a neutral, not-for-profit organization that promotes and maintains global standards for the identification of goods, locations and related e-commerce communication, and provides education and awareness of these global standards. Learn more at www.gs1ca.org.

For more information, contact:

Sarah Charuk
Media & Communications Specialist
T 416-510-8039 ext. 2229
E Sarah.Charuk@gs1ca.org