GS1 US releases new guideline for sharing product data

GS1 US, a standards organization that fosters industry collaboration to improve supply chain visibility and efficiency, has published a new guideline, “Best Practice Guide for Sharing Vital Attributes in Healthcare,” in order to help healthcare trading partners share data about medical devices or pharma products.

The guideline serves as a resource for healthcare professionals tasked with master data management, procurement, regulatory compliance and data governance. Developed by members of the GS1 Healthcare US Initiative, in collaboration with the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA), the document provides best practices for the synchronization of product features, including definitions and formatting for brand name and product description. It also encompasses suggestions for meeting five elements of “trusted data”—accurate, complete, timely, consistent and synchronized—which, according to GS1 US officials, are necessary in order to support effective data exchange for basic healthcare supply chain processes.

“When healthcare stakeholders collaborate using global data standards, their ability to trust and seamlessly synchronize shared data will improve,” says Angela Fernandez, GS1’s vice president of community engagement. “Alignment on attributes has a beneficial ripple effect, positively impacting data accuracy, efficiency and interoperability—all leading to improved healthcare operations and patient care.”

This guideline also covers data recommendations for FDA’s Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)—pharma traceability legislation that is discussed in detail on the latest episode of The Pharmaceutical Commerce Podcast—along with Unique Device Identification Rule (UDI) requirements for medical device traceability.