HealthPRO Using Global GS1 Standards to Drive Value, Efficiency for Canadian Healthcare Providers

TORONTO, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - To help Canadian healthcare organizations maximize efficiency and value while providing the highest quality of patient care, HealthPRO Procurement Services Inc., Canada's national healthcare group purchasing organization (GPO), is adopting global GS1 supply chain standards. HealthPRO will use ECCnet Registry — managed by GS1 Canada — for the electronic exchange of healthcare and related product information to provide members with access to perpetually cleansed product data from a centralized registry.

"Access to clean, correct product data is central to HealthPRO's mission to maximize the Canadian healthcare system's resources," said Cynthia Valaitis, Vice President, Business Development for HealthPRO. "ECCnet Registry will populate HealthPRO product information systems with accurate, trusted data, facilitating our members' efforts to achieve decreased supply chain costs and faster order cycles while enhancing patient safety. We believe this move will generate significant value for healthcare providers and our healthcare system as a whole."

ECCnet Registry is Canada's national product registry, providing a single point of access between trading partners. ECCnet Registry enables manufacturers to load core product data, marketing and nutritional information from one central registry. Data recipients, including hospitals and other healthcare providers, can then use ECCnet Registry data to update their item master files with accurate, perpetually cleansed medical device, pharmacy and foodservice product data, communicated in a standardized format, regardless of which trading partner it comes from.

This will enable the healthcare sector to achieve cost savings, reduce labour and administrative efforts that result from time spent manually correcting and updating bad data. It also lays the groundwork for improved ability to track and trace healthcare products, in support of patient safety.

HealthPRO members across Canada have already announced their commitment to adopt ECCnet Registry, including Alberta Health Services, Health Shared Services BC, Eastern Health (Newfoundland and Labrador) and Capital District Health Authority (Nova Scotia).

About HealthPRO Procurement Services Inc.
Founded in 1996, HealthPRO is Canada's healthcare GPO. HealthPRO is invested in Canada's public healthcare system by representing the purchasing interests of hospitals, provincial authorities and Shared Service Organizations (SSOs) from coast to coast to coast. With 255 members, including 12 of Canada's 14 SSOs, HealthPRO brings together the most significant purchasing power ever assembled within our country's public healthcare system. HealthPRO's national collective efforts save members hundreds of millions of dollars every year that can be directed to frontline patient care. With offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Mississauga, Ottawa and Halifax, HealthPRO provides member support and knowledge sharing across the broadest possible range of operational areas including pharmacy services and specialties, clinical services and specialties, special services, nutrition and food services and energy management. HealthPRO can be found online at www.healthprocanada.com.

About GS1 Canada
GS1 Canada is a member of GS1, the world's leading supply chain standards organization. As a neutral, not-for-profit organization, GS1 Canada enables its more than 20,000 members - organizations of all sizes from over 20 sectors across Canada - to enhance their efficiency, safety and cost effectiveness by adopting electronic supply chain best practices. Learn more at www.gs1ca.org.

SOURCE GS1 Canada