Key Summary
- Under the Windsor Framework, since 1 January 2025 the use of 2D DataMatrix barcodes on medicines supplied to the UK market has become optional.
- As a result, barcode use on medicines packaging is becoming increasingly inconsistent.
- Its impact is being felt across wider medicines pathway, including wholesalers, distributors, and community pharmacies.
A recent survey by GS1 UK has revealed that barcode quality issues are affecting pharmacy workflows, with 57% of respondents reporting a moderate to severe impact on pharmacy services and operational workflows.
Under the Windsor Framework, since 1 January 2025 the use of 2D DataMatrix barcodes on medicines supplied to the UK market has become optional.
As a result, barcode use on medicines packaging is becoming increasingly inconsistent, with some manufacturers removing 2D DataMatrix barcodes and other packs being supplied with missing, inaccurate or unscannable barcodes.
This is creating a growing patient safety and operational risk for NHS pharmacy services.
As more medicines enter the UK supply chain without reliable 2D DataMatrix barcodes, pharmacy teams are becoming increasingly reliant on manual workarounds.
This adds avoidable workload, weakens the value of digital and automation investments, and creates unnecessary risk across medicines management.
Its impact is being felt across wider medicines pathway, including wholesalers, distributors, community pharmacy, and other settings that rely on accurate product identification and traceability.
During the GS1 survey, conducted between March and April 2026, 44 secondary care organisations responded.
Most respondents were from acute NHS trusts, alongside responses from mental health and specialist services, located mainly out of England.
They reported the following barcode quality issues:- 64 per cent received medicines without barcodes in the previous month
- 46 per cent of respondents had received medicines with unscannable barcodes in the previous month
- 25 per cent of respondents had received medicines with incorrect or mismatched barcodes in the previous month
The findings suggest that more than half of responding organisations are experiencing moderate to severe workflow disruption linked to missing, incomplete or inaccurate barcodes.
The study said that qualitative responses highlighted three recurring themes: patient safety risks resulting from workarounds; operational inefficiencies affecting robot dispensing and stock management; and barriers to implementing end-to-end closed-loop medicines management.
Organisations using dispensing robots reported greater impact, reflecting their reliance on barcode functionality.
Qualitative responses highlighted three recurring themes: patient safety risks resulting from workarounds; operational inefficiencies affecting robot dispensing and stock management; and barriers to implementing end-to-end closed-loop medicines management.
Organisations using dispensing robots reported greater impact, reflecting their reliance on barcode functionality.
