Does anyone have an update on where ARC is going with ISBT. I just spoke to one supplier today and they claim they still don't know when the conversion to ISBT will take place. Last I knew, they had an AABB variance until January 2009. This date is soon approaching. Will ARC's variance be extended?

Dawn

My understanding is that they will submit for another extension. I wouldn't expect them to be ready before fall 2009.

Our local ARC (in Tucson, AZ) told me in July that it would be 2 years before they have ISBT in place. They also added the statement that they may recieve various products from other regions that have already converted to the system, so our facility needs to be ready to accommodate these units.

Facilities should be ready whether or not their supplier is ready. We have transitioned many facilities and it is always best to be prepared rather than delay the inevitable.

I wouldn't expect anything at least until later in 2009, if you're lucky. Quite frankly, the ARC's lack of communication with their facilities in regards to ISBT is a little distressing. Having to get ready to implement a huge change in our blood banks with little guidance from the mothership doesn't inspire much confidence. Our individual facilities need to be ready, yet our supplier doesn't. Hmmm...

We have bought an ISBT printer, the software is in place, and we only need to do validations.

The ARC has also been unable to provide us with materials and/or labels to do validations. I've got some barcode examples from the ICCBBA website, but are there any other places I can get actual ISBT labels to perform

validations?

While the Red Cross may be a late arrival but ISBT128 blood is and will be traveling around the US in 2009 so it is time to get implemented.

You can get printed ISBT128 label samples from our company Digi-Trax. Go to our web site www.digi-trax.com and find your local rep. or email info@digi-trax.com; 800-356-6126.

Do you get blood from any other source? Other blood centers that could send you examples. Since there are thousands of products, it's hard to validate unless you know what codes you'll be seeing. And the codes for the centers.

We get blood products from different suppliers. We receive ISBT products from all our suppliers except the ARC. The ARC in our region will not be ready untill fall 2009 (they requested an extension of the variance.)

There are labels available for testing at http://freeisbt.googlepages.com/home and more will be posted soon.

From ARC report at AABB and ATAG they say definitly commited to ISBT and will be meeting about all open issues with their board in the next 2 monts to make decisions on computer system ISBT etc. Everyone else seems to be going forward with implementation.

If you are looking for scripted label validation you can contact Digi-Trax at 800-356-6126 or info@digi-trax.com. We have such aproduct available for most systems.

It's true that ARC is probably more than a year away from implementing ISBT 128 around the country. Richard Kroziere, the King of ISBT 128 Label Printing, is a great resource for information on this important label change.

The AABB expects everyone to be in compliance and even if you get units from ARC now that are codabar you are expected to be printing labels for Pooled Products at a minimum, because they need a new DIN (Donor Identification Numbers) and they need to be labeled in ISBT 128 right now unless you have a variance. So why wait, if you are doing an update to your Blood Bank Computer system do it during that. You have to validate anyways because the system is changing so add the ISBT 128 implementation to the project and use a good firm (I happen to know one!) to help you get the whole thing done within the same timeframe of the update.

Hope this helps...Robin

P.S. Hope you feel better Richard!!!

Hello Robin:

Thanks for the kind wishes. I am back at work now but need to explore reasons and action with doctors to deal wth the TIA I had in Montreal...complicated since it was termed cryptic and they also found a PFO (small hole betweeen upper ventricles). Anyway, the ARC is certainly commited and once they make decisions on computer systems plus implementation etc. they can move and best guess is now late 09 or 10.

Richard:rolleyes:

There is an entry above from Richard Kriozere with Digi-Trax. Their company also has available a stand-alone program and printer which can be used to generate ISBT labels. This has been invaluable to us. There are often issues with setting up new ISBT products. Having access to another way to print correct labels allows you to get the work out while the computer people figure out what they did wrong.