GTIN Allocation Basics for Healthcare
Short answers to the questions we hear first in every serialization project.
Who allocates GTINs for healthcare products?
Allocating GTINs is one of the very first steps in a serialization project. The brand owner, the organization that owns the specifications of the trade item regardless of where and by whom it is manufactured, is normally responsible for allocating the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN).
What defines a trade item?
Its basic predefined characteristics: the primary brand, and the product name or description as regulation may define it; the trade item type and variety; the net content (weight, volume or another dimension that affects trade); and, for a grouping, the number of elementary items it contains and how they are sub-packed.
When does a product need a new GTIN?
A modification to any of the basic elements that characterize a trade item will usually lead to a change in the GTIN. GS1 publishes the official Healthcare GTIN Allocation Rules.
Source: GS1 Healthcare GTIN Allocation Rules. For the official rules, see gs1.org.
Starting a Serialization Project?
We take it from GTIN allocation through line upgrades, TraceLink integration and validation.