Global Breakthrough: Smartphone Scanning of GS1 DataMatrix Barcodes Enhances Patient Safety
A major milestone for global healthcare has been reached. GS1, the global organisation behind the barcode, today announced a collaboration with Google that enables GS1 DataMatrix barcodes — already printed on millions of medicine packs worldwide — to be scanned and recognised through Google Lens, the company’s visual search tool.
With this new capability, patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals can now use their smartphones to scan a GS1 DataMatrix barcode and instantly access trusted medical product information, including electronic patient leaflets (ePILs). This development marks a significant step forward in improving access to accurate and reliable healthcare information.
A New Digital Access Channel for Trusted Medical Information
While the scanning feature is now available globally via Google Lens, widespread access to trusted healthcare information will depend on adoption by manufacturers. GS1 is actively working with several global companies to implement this capability and encourages all pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to make product information accessible online for the benefit of patients worldwide.
“This collaboration between GS1 and Google is a major step forward in connecting the physical and digital worlds of healthcare,” said Renaud de Barbuat, President and CEO of GS1. “By enabling smartphone-native access to trusted medicine data, we’re advancing global healthcare transparency and empowering patients and professionals with the information they need.”
GS1 DataMatrix: A Proven Standard for Global Healthcare
For more than two decades, the GS1 DataMatrix has been the global standard for medicine identification and traceability. It encodes essential information such as batch number, expiry date, and unique identifiers — key requirements in healthcare regulations across more than 70 countries.
Today, over 16 billion medicine packs in the U.S. and EU alone carry GS1 DataMatrix barcodes.
Extending Trusted Healthcare Data to Smartphones
Through this collaboration, existing DataMatrix barcodes can now be scanned natively using Google Lens on Android devices, with support for iOS devices coming soon. Although the capability is already live, the level of accessible information will depend on manufacturers’ readiness and system availability.
This initiative forms a strong foundation for future expansion of interoperable and trusted healthcare data, supporting informed decision-making and improving patient safety across the globe.
Sustainability Impact
Digital access to electronic leaflets can also reduce environmental impact. In the U.S. alone, printed medicine leaflets contribute to the loss of an estimated 12 million trees annually and generate greenhouse gas emissions comparable to 800,000 cars.
Industry Endorsement
“The ability to scan a GS1 DataMatrix directly with a smartphone camera is a breakthrough for global healthcare systems,” said Glen Hodgson, Vice President, Healthcare at GS1. “It extends trusted, standardised medicine information directly to patients and healthcare professionals everywhere.”
This joint initiative reflects GS1 and Google’s shared commitment to open standards and trusted medical product information. By connecting the physical and digital worlds of healthcare, it helps make systems safer, smarter, and more efficient for everyone.
GS1 invites manufacturers worldwide to make their product information available online so patients everywhere can benefit.
About GS1
GS1 is a neutral, not-for-profit organisation that develops and maintains the world’s most widely used standards for business communication, including the GS1 DataMatrix barcode used globally for medicine identification and traceability.
Best known for the barcode — identified by the BBC as one of the “50 things that made the world economy” — GS1 standards enhance efficiency, safety, and visibility across supply chains and industries. With member organisations in more than 120 countries and over 2 million member companies, GS1’s mission is to enable a world where trusted data improves business and lives everywhere.
Learn more at www.gs1.org.
Media Contacts
GS1
Carlos Carnicero Urabayen
carlos.carnicero@gs1.org
Google
press@google.com