Global Standards

GHSC-PSM is committed to incorporating lessons learned over the last decade of global health supply chain management and exploring industry innovations that will lead to better, more efficient supply chains. Central to achieving this goal is the implementation and use of global supply chain standards (namely GS1) for product identification, location identification, and product master data. Thus, adoption of global standards has become a central part of the GHSC program to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and improve the availability of health commodities worldwide.

Resources for National and Global Stakeholders

GHSC-PSM has developed guidance documents for national and global stakeholders to support global standards implementations in national supply chains.

The below process lays out guidance for country programs to systematically organize the work of operationalizing and executing a vision and strategy for pharmaceutical traceability. It serves to orient teams in developing a vision, strategy, and implementation roadmap specific to the country environment – one that considers the key operational components required for successful implementation.

Traceability Framework Graphic

The following are tools comprising the GHSC-PSM Traceability Planning Framework Toolkit*, which cover the 'why,' 'what,' and 'how' to support country programs in implementing global standards. The below toolkit table is fully interactive and any underlined tools can be accessed by clicking on its title:

The "WHY"The "WHAT"The "HOW"
Education & AwarenessVision & StrategyPolicy & ArchitectureImplementation
 VisionStrategyPolicyArchitectureItem and Location IdentificationMaster Data ManagementStandards-Based Automatic Identification and Data CaptureRegulatory
Global Standards and Traceability Glossary of TermsNational Pharmaceutical  Traceability Vision and Strategy Development Reference NoteHuman Resources for Traceability ImplementationModel Regulation for Pharmaceutical TraceabilityGuideline for Identification and Labelling Specification Template and GuidanceGS1 Supply Chain Information Systems  RequirementsGlobal Location Number in Global Health Product Master Data Management Reference GuideAIDC Implementation ConsiderationsRegulatory Compliance Monitoring & Enforcement Framework 
Implementation Guidance for Pharmaceutical Traceability Leveraging GS1 Standards Traceability Governance Terms of Reference Guidance and TemplateGuideline for Pharmaceutical Product & Location Master Data Template and Guidance Global Standards in LLMICs: Policy Design Considerations to Address Domestic Manufacturer NeedsKey Considerations for Centralized Traceability ApproachesGS1 GTIN Data Collection ToolGS1 Data Discovery FrameworkAIDC Standard Operating Procedure Booklet 
  Business Case for the Implementation of Global Standards    Product Master Data Management (NPC) Lessons Learned  

 

More information on the implementation of the National Product Catalog as a tool to support MDM can be found on a separate site here.

Global Standards Implementation Guidance for Suppliers

GHSC-PSM is implementing global standards for product identification, labeling, and data exchange for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, sterile kits, and laboratory reagents. The resources referenced below are intended to inform suppliers and other key stakeholders with technical guidance on how to comply with the GHSC-PSM contract requirement.

Other Resources

This section contains historical presentations, posters, and other resources that have been developed over the course of both implementing and supporting the implementation of global standards.