We are a small hospital. I have ICCBBA/AABB information on implementation plans for ISBT 128, but since we don't pool or draw allogenic blood donations, I feel it is too in depth for us. Have any small hospitals out there written their implementation plan yet? If so, how many steps did you come up with?

Thanks,

Sheila

Let me start with a disclaimer: I work in a large hospital and we do not have a written implementation plan yet...

Implementation steps are going to include planning for the computer reading capability anywhere you use bar code readers. So, do your current readers translate ISBT? What about your lab software? If you have bedside readers and software, can they use ISBT?

Train your staff, both lab and nursing, to recognize the labels. Their label review process will be different because the various label components will not all be in the same location on the bags. This step is necessary regardless of whether your lab is computerized or not.

If you do any component preparation like pooling platelets, pooling cryo, splitting blood, irradiation, etc. that requires you to label the product (per the recent FDA requirements), you will need to have ISBT labels or be able to produce them. Therefore, you have to find a source for these labels. This step is also necessary regardless of whether your lab is computerized or not.

Your procedures may need to be modified to reflect the new labels. Your master label list may have to be modified.

You need to know what your supplier is planning so that your plans match up. If they send you blood products from other suppliers, you may need to know what those suppliers are planning.

That's all I can think of right now...Anyone see anything I missed?

Any bar code scanner that autodiscriminates will read Code 128 and since ISBT128 is Code 128 with special data identifier prefixes to ID ISBT128 rather then some other bar code, they will scan. Your software on your computer or hand held PDA needs to look for those special data identifiers in order to determine if you have ISBT128 or not. I suggest that you register with the ICCBBA at www.ICCBBA.org and get your 5 digit site registration code and then you can see the US Consensus Standard with all ISBT128 data.

Labels for ISBT128 can be purchased in small quantites for smaller hospital needs or printed on-demand from all US Blood Bank computer systems. There are also systems that can print on-demand from a stand-alone PC.

Thanks for the info. I really wanted to know about the written implementation plan we must have by November 1st. I have the guidelines, but it involves more steps than we need since we are not a donor center and do not pool or separate units at our facility.

If you are an AABB member you ought to contact AABB and get the ISBT128Implementation Guide that they publish...$20.00 and it may be available if I recall to non-members.

If you are an AABB member you ought to contact AABB and get the ISBT128Implementation Guide that they publish...$20.00 and it may be available if I recall to non-members.

This is a terrific document. I asked if they would let me post it here and they said no.

If you are an AABB member go to the Members Area, Association Bulletins and you can download ISBT Code 128 Implementation Plan.

You can also get the Implemetation Plan on www.iccbba.org under what's new.

Thanks for the info. I really wanted to know about the written implementation plan we must have by November 1st. I have the guidelines, but it involves more steps than we need since we are not a donor center and do not pool or separate units at our facility.

Somebody correct me (please) if I am wrong but the Written Implementation plan is only required if your facility is accredited by AABB.

Somebody correct me (please) if I am wrong but the Written Implementation plan is only required if your facility is accredited by AABB.

I don't believe you are wrong, therefore no correction is in order.

This is a requirement for AABB accredited facilities. However, many of us purchase from suppliers who will be moving toward ISBT 128 and it would be wise to have a plan in place.

Here is a comment from FDA: Currently, two types of machine-readable label types are recognized by FDA: FDA recognized the use of Codabar (a specific bar code symbology) in 1985; and FDA accepted the use of ISBT 128, version 1.2.0, in 2000.

We're getting ready to upgrade to Misys 6.2 with a implementation date of April 2008 which coincides with the ISBT128 implementation date of our Blood Center. We are an AABB laboratory in a 500 bed hospital.

I downloaded the AABB plan and it is extremely detailed and seems more suited for a blood center than for our transfusion service. Our Blood Center has an ISBT128 Task Force and we've looked at different implementation plans. We used an article published in the AABB News, Connecting the Transfusion Medicine World Through ISBT128. March/April 2006 as a basis to develop an generic implementation plan. The article written by Marianne Silva, MS<MTASCP(ASCP)SBB,CQA(ASQ) Developing your ISBT128 Implementation Plan is a 12 step approach for writing a plan. It is simple, easily understood and will work for any size blood bank. I found it very helpful and was able to write a plan that met with the AABB/CAP inspectors approval.

I would suggest talking to a representative from your Blood Center to see if they can't provide you with a copy of the article.

If you would like a copy of our plan, I'd be glad to share, email me at ssmietan@macneal.com. I would strongly suggest you read the article because it's very insightful and really covers everything that you need to think about in writing a plan.

Can anyone tell me where we can buy ISBT 128 labels in smaller quantities? I contacted one vendor who has a 1000 label limit for custom orders (which just means they don't have them in stock). I'm trying to order product labels for our thawed plasma and pooled products. Thanks.

Shamrock has rolls of 500 for non-customized labels. They have an ol line catalog.

I would go to www.digi-trax.com and look at the shoping cart icon. We have "Speed Print" program small quantities of any ISBT128 label with only a $50.00 minimum.

Computype has a small quantity offering too (called CLOT, I think), but it was still cheaper to buy a 26 yr. supply from Shamrock (2 roll minimum for custom--then we quit getting 7 day plts.). Price per label didn't matter to us, because we were never going to use up anyone's minimum order before they change the names of the products etc.

You don't have to relabel thawed FFP if only for in-house use (but you do thawed plasma).

I didn't know about Digi-trax at the time so can't compare prices.