bar coding: need to map GTIN to vaccine terms

Bar coding has the potential to improve the efficiency and accuracy of immunization data collection-- both at the point of immunization administration, and for vaccine inventory management.

The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is the standard recommended by PHAC's Automated Identification of Vaccine Projects Advisory Task Group (AIVP-ATG) for bar coding of vaccine products in Canada. GTIN includes lot numbers, which is key for product traceability, recall, and AEFI investigation. While GTIN supports vaccine bar coding for immunization administration and vaccine inventory management, it is insufficient to meet all of the vaccine terminology requirements to manage immunization data across the health sector, since it cannot account for historic immunizations (i.e., vaccine administered in other countries, discontinued products no longer licensed for use in Canada, and instances when the specific product administered is unknown).

There is a placeholder for GTIN in the SNOMED-CT vaccine terminology model. This will be an important gap to fill in order to ensure interoperability of immunization data across systems.

Ontario would like to implement bar coding functionality for vaccine inventory management in our provincial pharmacy warehouse and for vaccines administered by public health. Are there others who are in the position to implement bar coding?