Labels are used in a variety of applications throughout the medical field. Process accountability has become paramount, and labeling guns have provided a reliable way to quickly tag and identify a number of medical items. Label guns provide an excellent way to maintain medical records and traceability.
DATE CODES
Date coding is the most popular use of labels in the medical industry. These stickers can be small, white labels with a date on them, or brightly colored to help catch the attention of individuals to identify items. Virtually any surface can be labeled with date codes, from tubes and vials to packages and boxes.
The medical field has strict regulations in place that must be followed when disposing of hazardous waste. Any medical waste must be properly labeled with the date it was disposed of, which serves as a warning to other staff that may come in contact with the waste. Labels can be pre-printed with a warning of hazardous materials. Printing a date code with letters and numbers is also possible. For example, some products may require a label that provides information on whether they are being stored temporarily, the product ingredients, or provide a “best by” date, an expiration date, or a combination of the two. Special material and adhesive options are available for date code labels that need to be applied to specialized surfaces.
STERILIZATION LABELS
Throughout the medical industry, steam heat cleaning boxes called Autoclaves are used to clean and disinfect hospital tools and equipment. Autoclaves come in a variety of sizes, and are necessary for the sterilization of medical glass-wear, utensils, and medical knives. The Price Gun Store offers a labeling gun that can mark vital information on a high heat style autoclave label designed to withstand the sterilization process.
Once these labels have been exposed to a certain degree of heat, our labels change color to clearly signal that the items have been sterilized at the proper temperature or are ready for hospital use.
Autoclave tape is a popular solution; however, it falls short of being able to offer the operator the ability to print multiple pieces of distinguishing information such as the load number, a date or dates, sterilizer ID…etc, in a crisp, clean universal print. All of this information can be used to easily identify items for use/recalls.
DATES & PRICES
Date and price labels are most commonly used in pharmacies to label prescriptions and various types of medications. In a pharmacy, having an easy way to date inventory is vital. A “Received On,” “Expires” and/or time code label that is easily visible can help decrease the chance of a product being used after its expiration, therefore preventing major liability issues. Most all bottles are plastic or glass, so the standard general purpose adhesive is the best choice.
CUSTOM PRINTED
Custom printed labels are used for two reasons in the medical field. First, these labels are widely used to brand a name, be it a private corporation, hospital, or pharmaceutical company. Second, custom printed labels are used to create benefit of operations labels, or call-to-action labels.
Labels that provide operational benefits provide a warning to those exposed to a product and identify any potential hazards. In the medical field, these types of labels are especially helpful in identifying batch codes, employee identification numbers, or dates. The labels themselves can be custom printed to help further identify your dates and codes. This way everyone will clearly be able to understand and distinguish one, two, three, or even four different pieces of variable information on your labels.
CHARGE (PIGGYBACK) LABELS
Nicknamed for their ability to be reused, “piggyback” labels are able to be applied, removed, and reapplied for inventory or book-keeping purposes. About 80% of the charge labels produced are used within the medial industry.
Charge labels are designed to work as two labels in one. The label is printed with a label gun and applied to the necessary surface. Should an employee need to use the equipment or tools the label is on, the label is removed and placed on a tracking sheet. This allows all medical staff to be aware of for whom and when supplies were taken and used. Most often, these labels contain a date, but the sky is the limit when it comes to what piggyback labels can help identify and track.
Whether marking employee identification numbers or applying “Use By” dates, The Price Gun Store offers a variety of labels in various sizes, colors, and types for the use of the medical industry.