Tracking and traceability of milk products –

using barcode technologies to help improve

quality and safety reducing risks.

What is a barcode, how did it originate

Copyright GS1 UK

On 26 June 1974, a packet of chewing gum

became the first barcoded product to be

scanned in store. Today, barcodes play a crucial

supply chain role, ensuring products hit retail

shelves at the right times.

Now barcodes boost efficiency in many sectors,

from retail and health to transport and

logistics.

GS1 is a standard used so that everyone can

see products from the same data.

GLOBAL STANDARD 1 (GS1)

Barcode types and their uses

• Linear

• 2D

Decision Threshold

Logic signal showing how

scanner output is interpreted

Light reflectance

Choice of standard GS1 or ISBT 128 (ICCBBA)

Both not for profit organisations.

Both have healthcare solutions.

One allows tracking from Donor to patient.

Both work in collaboration not to duplicate effort within healthcare.

EMBA and HMBANA now signed up to promote use of ICCBBA coding and structures

What Code should we adopt for Milk banking?

What standards are available for in barcodes for Milk products?

• Not for profit organisation

• International standard

• Over 40 years experience in business and

now health industry

• Licenced use of coding by vendors

• Code of choice by NHS UK for non human derived products

• Suppliers already use this coding in other

countries

• If all countries use the same coding, the

suppliers can produce more cost effective

packaging therefore reduce costs of products

Copyright ICCBBA, Inc

• ISBT 128 is an information standard for medical products of human origin

• Developed for transfusion by ISBT in 1994

• Extended to support Tissue Banking and Cellular Therapy in 2000

• First Milk Bank registration 2011

• Defines:

• Definitions and Reference Tables

• Data Structures

• Delivery Mechanism and Labelling Guidance

ICCBBA

(International Council for Commonality in Blood Banking Automation)

HOW DOES THE ICCBBA STANDARD WORK?

Copyright ICCBBA, Inc

Copyright ICCBBA, Inc

Comprises 4 elements:

◦ Facility identification code

◦ Year indicator

◦ Sequential number

◦ Flag characters

Manual entry check character

=G15170212345601

Donation Identification Number

Delivery mechanism - Barcode’s • Safety

• Self checking codes (check digits ie Modulus 103)

• Unique

• Traceability worldwide not just local

• Reduce human error

• Check digits included in eye readable numbers

• Auto ID with Software possible (data identifiers)

• Eye readable number display

• Process control

• Expiry date and time can be coded

• Interoperability

• Concatenation

• Quality

• Data redundancy (some codes)

• Structured using standards

• Density of codes (no loss of codability)

• Barcode quality checking, verification

• Multi reading in scanner before passing outcome

What standards and barcodes for wristbands?

Two main areas of human milk banking

• From Donors

• Maternal

(NEC) Necrotizing enterocolitis

NEC typically develops within the

first 2 weeks of life in a premature

infant who is being fed with

formula as opposed to breast milk

Donor Milk Banking

Use of Industry standard coding structures within numbering systems and barcodes

Allows:

• Interoperability of stock from one MB to another

• Meeting of NICE guidelines.

• Can facilitate electronic registration of donors and link products/events

• Can allow safe creation and issue of different milk products (including fortifiers) – all different ICCBBA codes known worldwide

• Due to uniqueness of numbering system, Electronic transfer of test results using EDI. (Electronic Data Interface e.g. ASTM or XML ) possible (no human editing or error)

• Electronic acceptance of products and issue checking. (can be different for different products)

• Can provide workflow management by utilising process control. (if ICCBBA structures are used.

• Structured numbering systems lend themselves easier audit and journaling (from donor to recipient.)

Donor Milk Banking – Electronic systems

• Could include confirmed usage of products recording (not NICE requirement at present but probably will be required in the future…. i.e. lookback)

• All Barcode labels produced can be quality checked.

• Secure tailored login process. (including user admin etc)

• Can have storage location management

• Inventory control and management

• Performance Indicators and valuable statistics

• Electronic release only of products that are authorised for release

• Removes risk of contaminated product being released

• Visibility of stock and stock levels for each product type

• System should deal with batches and pooling of products

• Statistics i.e. usage or attrition.

Use of electronic systems to manage Human Milk Products can provide

Maternal Milk – Electronic checking systems • The milk products should belong to the mother as they are the source.

• Can check that the correct milk or feed for the baby has been selected by scanning the baby’s wrist band or ID. I.e. their CHI or NHS number (several points of checking can be used, ID numbers, the mothers ID or baby’s or both, the mothers DOB and the mother's surname)

• Should allow mother’s milk products to be available and valid to all her babies ( ie multiple birth)

• Should allow multiple feeds to be created for a baby from milk products and each feed checked and recorded individually.

• Should record the feed, its type and the volumes of feed administered

• Should be able to confirm usage of product/feed

• It should include an audit trail

• The system should be mobile and be able to carryout checking at any location including cot/bedside

• Allows and records any type of feed

• Should be able to produce product / feed labels

So…

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

sales@sciamed.co.uk

01975 564111

Many thanks to Debbie Barnett

Donor Milk Bank Coordinator/ Infant Feeding Advisor (Neonatal) Donor Milk Bank Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Maternity Unit Glasgow