Pharmacy stakeholders should take the warnings stated below into consideration:

1. GLN numbers are always 13 digits. (Please read the GLN generation rules from the related guideline.)
    
2. The GTIN (barcode) numbers to be notified to the system are always 14 digits. (Please read the GTIN generation rules from the related guideline.) GTIN is generated by placing a 0 in front of the 13 digit EAN barcode in the market within the DataMatrix. Please do not notify the barcode information which are not 14 digits to the system considering the situations which could originate during the resolving of the data within the DataMatrix with the DataMatrix Reader, entering by hand, or situations whcih can originate from the DataMatrix itself.
    
3. The Serial Number (SN) can be maximum 20 characters.
    
4. The Batch Number (BN) can be maximum 20 characters.
    
5. In normal circumstances there should not be any lower case letters in the Serial Number and Batch Number fields. In case they have been sent in lower case letters through the DataMatrix reader, the Batch Number and Serial Number fields should be changed to upper case letters to prevent victimhood.
    
6. The Expiration Date within the DataMatrix is in the YYMMDD format. However this data should be changed to the XMLDate type in the notifications in the YYYY-MM-DD form. However if the day section in the data is in “00” form, then the last day of the month should be entered into the field instead of “00” data. Example: 110100 -> 2011-01-31.
    
7. Before the expiration date is sent, it should controlled whether there is a real date information on the changed date. Since a data in the form of “2013-15-20” or “2013-11-39” is not a real date it should not be used in the notifications.

It is necessary that the data in any notification should be checked whether they exactly comply with the above stated rules. The “Null pointer exception” errors occur when such controls are not made.

All it may concern should provide the necessary compliance with the software and printing of DataMatrix. The pharmacy software developers are responsible of the drug not being able to be sold in cases when the drug has been printed correctly.