Same barcode, different medicine — I had to override the scan and check manually. It cost me time and confidence.
A patient-safety campaign by pharmacists, for pharmacists.
Barcodes are meant to protect patients — yet too many packs reach pharmacies with wrong, missing, or duplicated codes.
We’re calling for the Government to make accurate GTIN barcodes mandatory in all MHRA-licensed medicines.
When barcodes fail, pharmacists must stop, check manually, or print temporary labels — wasting time and increasing risk.Barcodes should be the most reliable part of the pack, not the weakest link.
Why It Matters
Patient safety
Wrong barcodes break the final accuracy check.
Efficiency
Every failed scan slows the line.
Traceability
Faulty codes hinder recalls and audits.
Pharmacists maintain accuracy daily — yet barcode quality isn’t held to the same standard.
Make accurate GTIN barcodes mandatory as part of MHRA licensing. Treat incorrect barcodes as labelling errors requiring correction or recall.
This simple fix would:
Protect Patients
Save pharmacists’ time
Strengthen NHS data
Improve supply-chain trust
See examples reported by pharmacists where medicine packs arrived with missing, duplicated, or incorrect barcodes — the everyday issues that compromise patient safety and efficiency.
Same barcode, different medicine — I had to override the scan and check manually. It cost me time and confidence.
This isn’t just a data problem. It’s a break in the chain of trust.
We use scan-to-label every day. If GTINs were reliable, it would take one small worry off our shoulders.
Sign the petition: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/738982
Share on social media: Use #EveryPackCounts
Start the conversation: Bring this issue up in your LPC, at branch meetings, and with suppliers.
Together, we can make barcode accuracy a national patient-safety standard.
Sign the petition
Supported by pharmacists and pharmacy teams across the UK. For collaboration or media contact: press@pillsorted.com