Healthcare Bar Coding Resources

Symbols for use in Labeling Medical Devices according to the
European Medical Device Directive - Freeware

These symbols are scanned directly from the prEN 980 standard. You can use them in your electronic publishing software and labeling software! This file is a zip archive containing all 11 symbols, plus the CE mark. This is the only spot on the internet you can obtain all of these symbols!

HIBC Supplier Labeling Standard popular

This is the basis for healthcare's Universal Product Number specification. The Health Industry Bar Code (HIBC) specification is strongly recommended for the bar code labeling of any critical medical products. There are qualitative differences between the HIBC specification and the specs based on the UPC code. That is why it was developed by a consortium of healthcare professionals and technology experts including the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association. If your products are not sold at retail, you should seriously consider using this specification.

Creates a standalone Windows Help file with icon to launch it with. Very Useful! Download the file, and unzip it onto a floppy diskette. Run setup.exe from the floppy. For Win 3.1, 95, 98, NT.

You may also Download a MS Word .doc version from HIBCC

2-D Bar Code Application Specification for the HIBC Supplier Labeling Standard - DRAFT

HIBCC file download page - Bar Coding Section

HIBC Provider Applications Standard popular

This is the specification to follow when using bar coding in a Healthcare Provider setting. The use of computer networks requires that all messages, including bar coded ones, be standardized, so that the data can move between systems without the need for conversion, which increases the risk of errors. Lately we've seen a marked interest in this from software houses that create solutions for hospitals and clinics. If your bar codes or bar code scanning application isn't compliant with HIBC specifications, you risk a higher potential for life threatening errors.

Creates a standalone Windows Help file with icon to launch it with. Download the file, and unzip it onto a floppy diskette. Run setup.exe from the floppy. For Win 3.1, 95, 98, NT.

You may also Download a MS Word .doc version from HIBCC - (WinZip required to open file)

There is a Online HIBC format generator at the HIBCC website to create HIBC-UPN data structures.

This tool can be used to calculate check digits, Bar Code data, and Human Readable Interpretation.

Created for HIBCC by INFORMATICA .

NEW	The Effect of Bar Code Enabled Point of Care Technology on Medication Administration Errors INFORMATICA is the bar code consultancy to Bridge Medical
NEW Promoting and Standardizing Bar Coding on Medication Packaging: Reducing Errors and Improving Care Also, here is a short paper on Reduced Space Symbology and Composite Symbology. For more info, visit the UCC's website section on the subject. DRAFT Guidelines for using RSS in Healthcare Products Labeling
Bar Code Medication Administration From the VA Newsletter CIO Information In The News
St. Alexius Hospital Implementation Guide to Bar Coding We're good friends with the folks at St. A.'s, who really took a trailblazing attitude to their system. You can look to INFORMATICA to help you with any of the system elements mentioned in their text. Contact us anytime.
From Materials Management in Health Care: A Boon for the Supply Chain Full Automation Streamlines Replenishment, Saves Money Fast Track to UPN Mandatory UPN's Resources for Using UPN's and Bar Codes in Healthcare Scoping Out the UPN UPN Challenges What is the UPN?
Pilot trials of PDF symbology as a means of transferring data on blood units between transfusion centres.
Accuracy and time requirements of a bar-code inventory system for controlled substances.
Pharmacy technicians and computer technology to support clinical pharmacy services.
Bar-code technology applied to drug-use evaluation.
Effects of bar coding on a pharmacy stock replenishment system.
Bar-code technology for documenting administration of large-volume intravenous solutions.
Use of bar codes in inpatient drug distribution.
Electronic data interchange for pharmacy inventory control.
Accuracy and time requirements of a bar-code inventory system for medical supplies.
Bar codes and their potential applications in hospital pharmacy.
We carved out bar coding goals - and reached them. (Lab article)
Bar coding improves hospital's inventory and billing processes.
Wristbanding for positive patient ID.

Click on the Title to download. We'll let the title serve as the article's description. In some cases these articles are abstracts - look in your hospital's library for the complete article.
Hospital/Provider articles -
	NEW! Why Does Healthcare Need The Health Industry Bar Code (HIBC)? The pamphlet, produced by HIBCC, explains the critical qualitative differences between generic UPC and EAN bar codes and bar codes designed specifically for the needs of the healthcare provider (HIBC).