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Leaders Convene for National Healthcare Industry Meeting Strategies announced for pan-Canadian approach to standardizing healthcare supply chain November 1, 2010 Toronto, ON – With growing calls for long-term solutions to a more sustainable Canadian healthcare system, industry leaders convened in Toronto on October 27th to advance plans for the modernization of the healthcare supply chain through the pan-Canadian implementation of global GS1 standards and the Canadian Healthcare Product Registry. “Implementation of GS1 standards in healthcare systems around the world has proven to generate critical cost savings and improve efficiencies," said David Loukras, Provincial Director, Performance, Integration & Transformation, Health Shared Services BC, and Co-chair of the GS1 Canada Carenet Healthcare Sector Board. "The retail sector has been using GS1 standards to streamline its supply chain for over 35 years. It is time for the Canadian healthcare sector to catch up.” Over 140 healthcare executives attended the National Healthcare Industry Meeting, hosted by not-for-profit standards body GS1 Canada. Panelists included representatives from provincial healthcare supply chain organizations in British Columbia, Alberta, and Nova Scotia; Ontario healthcare institutions; and leading international suppliers, who showcased the cross-Canada momentum around adoption of common supply chain practices. Discussion focused on industry-established timelines for implementation of standardized product and location identifiers, as well as roll-out of the Canadian Healthcare Product Registry, set to be the most comprehensive source of standardized medical-surgical, pharmaceutical and foodservice product data in Canada. Speaking about the registry, GS1 Canada President & CEO N. Arthur Smith stated, "this comprehensive Canadian registry will change the way the healthcare community manages product data. As a central source of truth, it will drive significant improvements in the quality and accuracy of product data shared between organizations from the point of manufacture right through to the point of patient care. This will have a dramatic impact on the sustainability and safety of Canada’s healthcare system.” GS1 standards like the bar code form a suite of globally-unique identifiers for products, locations, and services that acts as a common language between organizations for business transactions. The use of GS1 standards for managing the flow of products and information in the healthcare sector has been proven to generate operational efficiencies, quantifiable savings, and improved patient outcomes. As a result, sector-wide implementation plans are being rolled-out in healthcare systems around the world, including in the US, the UK and India. For more information on the industry-led implementation plan for Canada, visit www.carenet.ca. – 30 – About the Carenet Strategy About GS1 Canada For more information, contact: |
