Improper labeling of healthcare products is an easily avoidable mistake that can cause lethal outcomes.
Peak-Ryex and Zebra Technologies have partnered to offer barcode labeling systems in the healthcare industry for patient identification, mobile specimen collection, patient information tracking, unit-of-use packaging, and to improve inventory controls with smart labels.
Today’s Medical Developments spoke with Tom Heitman, manager of solutions consulting at Peak-Ryzex about the system.
TMD: Can you explain the history the of Peak-Ryzex and Zebra Technologies partnership?
Heitman: Peak-Ryzex has been a premier partner with Zebra for many years. We continue to provide labeling and track-and-trace solutions to our customers across many vertical markets, including healthcare. These solutions are sometimes as small as printing solutions with break-and-fix services and other times as large as complete end-to-end printing, tracking, and integration solutions.
TMD: How are labels manufactured?
Heitman: Peak-Ryzex sources its labels from manufacturing sources such as Zebra Technologies that meet or exceed requirements for compliance, durability, and adhesion based upon the specific parameters around our customers’ needs and items to be labeled.
TMD: What are some examples of Peak-Ryzex’s labeling system?
Heitman: Any tangible item (product, assembly, asset, storage location, medical device, etc.) may have a label designed and printed on-demand containing barcoded unique identifiers as dictated by both internal company and external compliance requirements.
Printing on-demand provides our customers the ability to dramatically reduce costs and effort associated with purchasing and maintaining inventory on pre-printed labels for all devices or products. It also provides opportunities to generate labels for purposes other than compliance.
Unique barcoded identifiers enable our customers to use these labels for both internal tracking purposes and customer or governmental compliance.
TMD: How were labels designed?
Heitman: Since our solutions are geared heavily toward printing on-demand, the label format designs are created using what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) label-design software through collaboration between the customer and Peak-Ryzex resources.
The attributes of the physical media are derived using our wealth of experience in the industry and input from the customer on environmental and target item attributes.
In some instances, the use of pre- printed labels works best to meet requirements. Peak-Ryzex also offers custom, pre-printed labeling solutions to fit these situations. Based on the attributes of the item/device being labeled, the size and layout of the label will deviate, while the content for specific types of labels (e.g., UDI-compliant) will remain constant.
TMD: What are the benefits of using Peak-Ryzex’s medical labeling products?
Heitman: Labels produced – especially for unique device identification (UDI) compliance – contain barcodes. These labels not only meet UDI requirements, but also contain barcoded data attributes, such as serial numbers and lot numbers. Customers that leverage these barcodes to track inventory receiving, movement, and storage in their organizations benefit greatly by increasing traceability.
TMD: Why are Peak-Ryzex’s medical solutions critical to healthcare applications?
Heitman: Our solutions can help our customers achieve compliance with specific industry mandates, improve internal tracking of inventory/manufacturing, and reduce costs/effort of maintaining an inventory of pre-printed labels.
TMD: Where else are Peak-Ryzex’s solutions implemented?
Heitman: Our labeling and tracking solutions are implemented across many vertical markets. Our solutions have been implemented in compliance, inventory asset tracking, and transportation.
