Healthcare traceability, facilitated by adherence to GS1 standards, plays a pivotal role in ensuring patient safety, regulatory compliance, and the mitigation of counterfeit healthcare products. By tracking products across the healthcare supply chain, it becomes possible to eliminate the circulation of counterfeit items, enhance patient safety, and meet the stringent regulatory requirements imposed globally.

Traceability within the healthcare sector allows for comprehensive monitoring of prescription drugs and medical devices as they traverse through various stages of the supply chain. This entails the ability to trace backward, thereby discerning the complete journey of a product from its origin to its current location, and forward tracing to ascertain its intended path towards the point of care.

Given the inherently global nature of healthcare, characterized by supply chains that frequently transcend national borders, the adoption of a standardized traceability system is imperative. A global standard, such as the GS1 system, ensures seamless product identification and traceability across diverse geographical regions, thereby facilitating compliance with regulatory mandates worldwide. The utilization of Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) further streamlines cross-border trading, enabling accurate product identification devoid of constraints or errors.

The GS1 system's track record of over three decades in various industries underscores its reliability and effectiveness. Moreover, adherence to standardized protocols ensures accessibility and usability by all stakeholders within the healthcare supply chain, thereby fostering equitable participation and preventing undue advantages stemming from complexity.

By embracing GS1 standards in healthcare, organizations can uphold the five patient rights, namely the right patient, right drug or device, right time, right dose, and right route. Specifically, these standards enable the verification of patient identity, ensure the accurate dispensation of medications to the intended recipient, and facilitate efficient product recalls by establishing a clear link between medical products and patients.

In summary, the adoption of GS1 standards in healthcare traceability not only enhances patient safety and regulatory compliance but also fosters interoperability and efficiency across the global supply chain, ultimately safeguarding the integrity of healthcare systems worldwide

Greece, as a member of the European Union, is obliged to comply with the relevant regulations, which among other things, stipulate the use of GS1 standards.