SCAN/STORIES

In this episode of SCAN/STORIES, discover how Johnson & Johnson is helping transform access to patient information through digital labelling, powered by a single barcode.

For decades, patients have relied on paper leaflets inside medicine boxes to access critical information. But these leaflets can be difficult to read, easy to lose, and hard to keep up to date. As healthcare becomes more digital, patients and professionals alike are expecting faster, clearer, and more accessible information, right when they need it.

Johnson & Johnson, working closely with regulators and industry partners, is addressing this challenge by exploring a shift toward digital labelling. At the heart of this transformation is the use of GS1 DataMatrix barcodes, enabling patients and healthcare professionals to access trusted, real-time product information with a simple smartphone scan.

By linking each product to digital information through global identifiers like the GTIN, this approach removes the need to search for instructions or rely solely on paper. Instead, users can instantly access accurate, up-to-date information directly from a reliable source.

But this shift is not just about technology. It requires careful consideration of usability, patient inclusion, and trust. From clear on-pack guidance to phased implementation and education, the approach ensures that no one is left behind as healthcare systems evolve.

This episode explores how global standards and cross-sector collaboration are enabling a more connected, interoperable healthcare ecosystem, where one product, one barcode can unlock better access to information, improve patient understanding, and ultimately support safer, more informed care.

In this first episode of Season 2 of SCAN/STORIES, discover how Danish hospitals are tackling medicine waste and improving patient care with nothing more than barcodes, smartphones, and strong collaboration.

In the Central Denmark Region, hospital pharmacists were struggling with expired medicines, fragmented stock rooms, and time-consuming manual checks. With thousands of products spread across hundreds of locations, valuable medicines were often going to waste simply because there was no easy way to track or share them in time.

That changed with the introduction of a simple, barcode-based app built on GS1 global standards. By scanning GS1 DataMatrix barcodes using a smartphone, pharmacists can instantly access expiry dates and product details, identify medicines at risk of expiring, and reallocate them across hospitals before it is too late.

Powered by global identifiers like the GTIN, the solution delivers fast, accurate visibility without adding complexity. Since 2022, it has helped reallocate nearly 4,000 medicine packages, saving over €260,000, reducing waste, and supporting more sustainable healthcare operations.

This episode shows how trusted data and global standards can unlock practical, scalable innovation, proving that smarter stock management is not just about efficiency, but about safer care for patients.

In this special after-show episode, we continue the conversation on smarter medicine stock management with Rune Dalsenni Rask, the software developer behind the barcode-based app created in the Central Denmark Region.

Building on Episode 25, Rune shares the story behind the solution, from the initial problem pharmacists were facing, to the practical choices that shaped the app’s design. We explore how close collaboration between pharmacists and developers, combined with GS1 standards and GS1 DataMatrix barcodes, made it possible to turn a simple idea into a scalable, real-world solution.

This bonus episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how digital tools built on global standards can deliver fast impact in healthcare, and why simplicity and usability are often the key to successful innovation.

Recorded live at the 40th GS1 Healthcare Global Conference, this On-Air at the Marketplace episode features Zebra Technologies.

In this episode, we learn more about how Zebra supports healthcare stakeholders with advanced scanning, mobility, and data-capture technologies that enable efficient workflows, real-time visibility, and trusted product identification, and how GS1 standards help ensure interoperability, accuracy, and traceability from manufacturer to point of care.

Recorded live at the 40th GS1 Healthcare Global Conference, this On-Air at the Marketplace episode features Wipotec.

In this episode, we learn more about how Wipotec delivers high-precision weighing, inspection, and track-and-trace solutions for pharmaceutical and healthcare products, and how GS1 standards help ensure accurate identification, compliant serialisation, and reliable data capture across global supply chains.

Recorded live at the 40th GS1 Healthcare Global Conference, this On-Air at the Marketplace episode features SoftGroup.

In this episode, we learn more about how SoftGroup provides end-to-end serialisation, aggregation, and traceability solutions that help pharmaceutical manufacturers meet global regulatory requirements, and how GS1 standards support secure product identification, compliant data exchange, and increased visibility across the healthcare supply chain.

Recorded live at the 40th GS1 Healthcare Global Conference, this On-Air at the Marketplace episode features SEA Vision.

In this episode, we learn more about how SEA Vision delivers advanced vision systems, serialisation solutions, and digital inspection technologies that support quality control, compliance, and traceability in pharmaceutical production, and how GS1 standards help ensure accurate identification, secure data exchange, and end-to-end supply chain visibility.

Recorded live at the 40th GS1 Healthcare Global Conference, this On-Air at the Marketplace episode features REA Elektronik.

In this episode, we learn more about how REA provides high-precision coding, marking, and verification technologies that ensure accurate, compliant, and high-quality barcode implementation for healthcare and pharmaceutical products, and how GS1 standards help secure reliable identification and traceability across global supply chains.

Recorded live at the 40th GS1 Healthcare Global Conference, this On-Air at the Marketplace episode features Osapiens.

In this episode, we learn more about how Osapiens supports global healthcare and life sciences companies with end-to-end digital compliance, product traceability, and ESG transparency solutions, and how GS1 standards help enable secure, interoperable data flows that drive trust, efficiency, and regulatory readiness across the healthcare value chain.

Recorded live at the 40th GS1 Healthcare Global Conference, this On-Air at the Marketplace episode features MM Packaging.

In this episode, we learn more about how MM Packaging delivers high-quality, innovative pharmaceutical packaging solutions that support safety, compliance, and efficient product handling, and how GS1 standards help ensure accurate identification, traceability, and reliability across global healthcare supply chains.