Various government agencies, technology organizations, healthcare manufacturers, distributors, Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) and providers are actively collaborating to adopt and use global standards.

Why Are Standards Gaining in Importance?

With increases in business process automation and advancements in technology, the common use of global standards between trading partners is central to increasing data accuracy and gaining visibility into the healthcare supply chain.

The forces accelerating standards adoption include:

• The advent of sunrise dates by which major GPOs and healthcare systems want trading partners to use GS1 standard product and location identifiers in business transactions:
  • Global Location Numbers (GLN) by December 2010
  • Global Trade Item Numbers (GTIN) by December 2012
• Global markets requiring the use of GS1 standards
• Regulatory initiatives such as universal device identification (UDI), e-Pedigree and track and trace
• The need for greater inventory visibility to reduce risk and improve asset and recall management, customer service and patient safety

Our Position on Standards

• GHX is not a standards body and does not create or administer standards for product and/or organization/location identification or product classification
• GHX is an open and neutral organization, and as such, does not endorse the standards of one particular standards body that creates and administers standards over another
• Since its inception, GHX has supported industry adoption and use of supply chain standards, as adopted by the market
• By virtue of the critical mass of healthcare supply chain participants conducting business with one another through their common use of GHX, GHX has the expertise and technology to foster collaboration and deliver solutions related to use of healthcare supply chain standards
• GHX believes that expanded use of industry standards will enable greater visibility and collaboration in the healthcare supply chain, which in turn will build trust among stakeholders, improve efficiencies, and lead to better quality patient care and improved financial performance
• GHX recognizes the value of an industry-wide use of a single standard for product and location identification. GHX will support and prioritize efforts, as appropriate, based on the level of member and market demand