Bar coding. The inventory manager.

Abstract

Bar coding was formally introduced to the healthcare industry in March 1984. At that time, the Health Industry Bar Code Council (HIBCC) was formed by the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA), the Health Industry Manufacturers Association (HIMA), the National Wholesale Druggists' Association (NWDA), and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PMA). Now, three years later, many myths and misunderstandings about bar coding still exist. This article will attempt to dispel those misunderstandings by explaining the basics of bar coding: what it is, how it works, and how hospitals can best start up and maintain a system that works for them.