Aucxis creates one central GS1 database for UZ Gent to organise its pharmacy logistics

With more than 3.000 patients per day, it is an absolute must for UZ Gent to have a streamlined distribution process with sound tracing from the central pharmacy to the different departments. In order to be able to use the new user software for this purpose, Aucxis developed one central GS1 database with corresponding EPCIS interfaces, collecting the data of several logistic databases of the hospital.

The software gathers its data from the database with universally known EPC coding. This standard way of working allows to quickly add extra applications in the future.

UZ Gent has a central pharmacy providing all departments of the hospital with medication, care products, sterile components and medical devices. With several hundreds of transports per day, this is a complex logistic process.

Software system with flowcharts and task lists

For the replacement of its outdated system, UZ Gent chose to use software optimising and modelling its existing logistic processes. UZ Gent selected the Workflower software of our partner Amaron. The users can visually display all logistic operations in a flowchart, for example ‘Scan item X to identify it’, ‘Put item X in trolley Y’, ‘Take it to department Z’ etc.
The actions of the flowchart are then converted into a work screen with task lists for the logistics employees.

From decentralised databases to GS1-compliant central database

In order to make optimum use of the Amaron Workflower, there was a need for a central database containing all details about the products, movements, available staff etc. Up to now, these data could be found in different databases and master tables throughout the hospital. As UZ Gent wishes to further extend the tracing of the logistic operations in the future to other applications – for example the tracing of blood products – the database had to be set up according to the universal GS1 standards and had to be accessible via the GS1 EPCIS interface.

Together with UZ Gent, Aucxis drew up a plan to convert the hospital’s own product codes into the standard EPC codes of GS1. Next, these product codes were transferred to the central database, written according to the GS1 standards. The logistic pick-up and delivery actions are scanned via barcodes and identified with Aucxis handhelds: the GS1-compliant database is continuously fed with these data.

The GS1 EPCIS interface enables the database to be fed and read by the Amaron Workflower and Aucxis reporting module.

Future-proof and universal tracing platform

Thanks to the smart combination of Aucxis’ scanning equipment and back-end software and Amaron’s front-end software, all logistic operations for the distribution of pharmacy products are perfectly manageable and traceable. This enables the logistics employees to be deployed as optimally and efficiently as possible and to work better together.

As a GS1 partner, Aucxis has been offering solutions that integrate the GS1 standards for a long time. Click here for more information.