The use of barcodes is particularly widespread in the healthcare sector. However, there is no common international approach regarding drug coding, although many countries use the GS1 system based on their national specifications.

In Greece, the GS1 system is used in combination with the coding of the National Organization for Medicines (EOF). The GS1 code of a drug circulating in Greece is 13 digits long and starts with the prefix 280, followed by the 9-digit code assigned by the EOF and ending with the check digit calculated according to the GS1 system algorithm.

The barcode used for marking the authenticity seal (EOF-Stamp) of the drug is the EAN-13.

It should be noted that internationally in the healthcare, GS1 DataMatrix provides the unique identification and traceability of items throughout the supply chain, ensuring patient safety and regulatory compliance. Its versatility allows for encoding various information beyond product identification, such as batch numbers, expiration dates, and serial numbers.