GS1, in a global collaboration with Google, has made it possible for users to scan the GS1 DataMatrix, a two-dimensional barcode found on more than 16 billion medicine packages in the US and EU. Using Google’s tool, Google Lens, users can scan pharmaceutical packaging with their mobile phones and gain instant access to reliable medical product information directly on their device, without the need for any specialized tools.
This collaboration marks a significant step toward a more transparent and digitally accessible healthcare ecosystem. By connecting an established barcode standard with everyday technology, it introduces a new level of simplicity and usability for both consumers and professionals. The initiative builds on two decades of digitalization efforts within healthcare, where GS1 DataMatrix is already a recommended or required standard for identification and traceability in more than 70 countries.
The availability of product information will continue to grow as more pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers make their data digitally accessible. GS1 is already working with several international manufacturers to accelerate this development and hopes that more will join, as standardized digital information enhances safety across the healthcare supply chain.
The new opportunity to scan GS1 DataMatrix codes using Google Lens means that existing packaging can now serve as direct gateways to online, trusted product information and electronic package leaflets. Digital access to leaflets also offers substantial sustainability benefits. In the United States, for example, printed pharmaceutical leaflets are estimated to require around 12 million trees annually, highlighting the environmental potential of a digital transition.
The scanning feature is already available globally through Google Lens on Android devices, with support for iOS expected soon. The amount of information displayed will vary depending on how prepared manufacturers’ systems are to deliver data.
Read more
- News – GS1 brings trusted medicine information to smartphones through collaboration with Google – empowering patients →
- Blog post – The future of healthcare: When digitalization meets sustainability →
- Read more about GS1 DataMatrix →
- Industry page – Healthcare →
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