GS1 is an international standards development organisation, best known for providing a system of unique numbers, data carriers (e.g., barcodes) and information sharing standards relevant to products, relationships, assets,
locations, services and processes. Across 150 countries, GS1 standards are being used in 25 industry sectors, such as grocery, retail, hardware, transport and logistics, as well as healthcare.

Since 2005, GS1 has operated across the healthcare sector with the primary objective to enhance patient safety, and to drive supply chain efficiencies. The development and implementation of GS1 standards for healthcare support the industry within traceability of products from the manufacturer to the patient, contribute to detect counterfeit products, help to prevent medication errors, enable effective recalls and support clinical processes. More than 70 countries have healthcare-related regulations or trading partner requirements where GS1 standards are being used.