Electronic trading system for medical goods for WA

Western Australia has become the first state to implement an electronic trading system for medical goods and services that complies with the latest national e-procurement specifications developed by the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA). The new system, linked to the National Product Catalogue for medical goods and services, will significantly streamline supply chain operations in WA’s public health sector enabling multiple suppliers to offer products and manage the ordering, payment and despatch processes electronically. 

The system has been developed by Health Corporate Network, which is the WA Department of Health’s Shared Corporate Services arm responsible for coordinating supply, financial services and human resources to WA Government health agencies. 

“An electronically connected healthcare supply chain will cut costs and improve efficiency, helping deliver more accurate and timely healthcare services to patients,” said Robyn Richmond, Acting Director of Supply, Health Corporate Network.

At the heart of the system is a Message Implementation Guide, or MIG, which describes the interoperability requirements for any suppliers wishing to trade with the WA system. The MIG contains Electronic Data Interchange specifications for trading functions such as purchase orders, order responses and invoicing.

NEHTA Supply Chain Program Manager Ken Nobbs said the WA MIG was the first to be endorsed under the NEHTA specifications and marked a significant achievement for e-health based on a model that is widely used in the grocery and retail industries.

“NEHTA’s e-procurement specifications are a subset of the GS1 global standards, with the incorporation of national requirements from Standards Australia,”  Nobbs said.

“They comprise a suite of electronic message specifications for use by Australian healthcare organisations. NEHTA also provides support for both public and private healthcare sectors organisations interested in developing a MIG to achieve cost and efficiency benefits.”