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Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS) drives agreement on unique coding of medical devices

Dutch healthcare and trade organisations have signed a set of agreements concerning unique coding of medical devices under the watchful eye of the demissionary Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS), Mrs Edith Schippers.

This is an important factor in improving patient safety. The agreements were reached on request of and under the direction of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports. “I am happy that parties have succeeded in coming to clear agreements. This is a good thing for both patients and safety in Dutch healthcare”, declared Minister Schippers.

Currently not all medical devices bear standardised barcodes or have any barcode at all and this leads to inefficient and error-prone registration. The new agreements tie in well with the registration in the National Implants Register and anticipate the new European rules concerning medical devices.

The agreements have been signed by various parties within healthcare: the Dutch Hospitals Association (NVZ), the Dutch Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU), Independent Clinics Netherlands (ZKN), the Federation of Technology Industries (FHI), the Entrepreneurs Organisation of Technological Industries (FME) and the Interest Organisation for producers, importers and dealers of medical devices (Nefemed). As such, this involves the entire healthcare chain from manufacturing to the patient.

The introduction of unique coding will be phased and will start on 1 July 2018. The documents containing the agreements and practical examples will be published on www.vmszorg.nl

“All agreements on introducing unique coding of medical devices have been completed. They will improve patient safety and efficiency in healthcare. Now that efforts have been united, hospitals and suppliers can concentrate on the implementation of the unique barcoding in their processes”, stated Esther Peelen, GS1 Netherlands Sector Manager Healthcare Providers.

To read the announcement (in Dutch), please see here