Pharmaceutical Applications

To reduce the number of medication errors human drug products and biological products (other than blood, blood components, and devices regulated by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research) must contain the National Drug Code (NDC) number in a linear bar code. Hospitals and other health care settings can use bar code scanning equipment to verify that the right drug (in the right dose and right route of administration) is being given to the right patient at the right time. The rule also requires the use of machine-readable information on blood and blood component container labels to help reduce medication errors.  By adding the SIRA barcode this now can also assure that the products have not been temperature abused.