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Product codes

GTIN and EAN: product identifiers in the UK

A product code is an identifier for a product or a specific package. When product data moves between manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacies, databases and software, each system needs to recognise the right item. Product codes make that possible.

Close-up of hands scanning the barcode on a box at the pharmacy counter

A code is a key to a product record. The digits themselves usually do not describe what a product contains or what it is used for. A different strength, form or pack size may have its own code.

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GTIN and EAN: international trade item identifiers

GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is the international GS1 identifier for a trade item. The digits are usually printed below a barcode. EAN-13 is the barcode symbol used to represent a 13-digit GTIN. People often call the digits themselves an “EAN code”, but GTIN is the number and EAN is the scannable representation on the pack. Barcode history began with UPC in the US in 1973; the European EAN organisation was founded in Brussels in 1977. In the UK, the GS1 member organisation is GS1 UK.

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Product identifiers at Medipim in the UK

In the UK, Medipim identifies products by their GTIN. The supplier assigns it under the GS1 standards and prints it on the pack as a barcode, so manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacies and software can all recognise the same item.

Codes used in other markets, such as CNK, PZN and CIP 13, are compared on our international product codes page.

Sources: GS1 UK · GS1: GTIN and EAN

Frequently asked questions

Which product code does Medipim use in the UK?

The GTIN. In the UK, Medipim identifies products by the GTIN on their packaging.

Are a GTIN and an EAN the same?

Not quite. The GTIN is the number that identifies a trade item. EAN-13 is the barcode symbol that represents a 13-digit GTIN on the pack.

Does a product code tell me what is in a product?

Usually not. A code helps a system find the right product. Composition, strength, dosage form, description and other characteristics are held in the product data linked to it.

Can one product have more than one code?

Yes. A different strength, form or pack size has a GTIN of its own, and other systems may use codes of their own. In the UK, Medipim works with the GTIN.

Does having a code mean a product is officially approved?

No. An identifier by itself is not an approval or quality assessment. Its meaning depends on the code system and the responsible authority.

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Provide or use product information?

Manufacturers submit their product information once. Medipim checks and processes it, so pharmacies, wholesalers, online shops and software providers can immediately work with usable data. No one has to look up, photograph, enter or correct the same information over and over again. That saves time across the entire supply chain.

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Use product information

Pharmacies and healthcare professionals · Software companies and webshops · Wholesalers

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