Closed petition: Make accurate medicine barcodes (GTIN) mandatory to protect patient safety

Closed on 1 April 2026

Errors in medicine barcodes (GTIN) mean pharmacists and hospitals bypass safety systems and rely on manual checks. We believe this increases risks for patients and wastes NHS time and money. Making accurate barcode data mandatory would protect patients, reduce errors and save millions.

Barcode (GTIN) data should be included in licence submissions to the MHRA. This would allow healthcare professionals to detect any GTIN errors, which must then be treated as manufacturer defects requiring reporting and correction. Accurate barcode data should be a regulatory requirement, not a voluntary option. We believe this will protect patients, cut NHS costs and build trust in the digital medicines supply chain.