GLN ENFORCEMENT:
Moving Beyond Compliance into Data Confidence

The New Reality: A Widely Varied Landscape of Adoption

GLN readiness varies dramatically across the market. We see a stark divide between early adopters and those still grappling with initial integration: 

LAGGING ADOPTION: Some organizations remain in the early stages, focused merely on procurement. A major industry player, for example, recently partnered with MedPro to begin integrating GLNs into their core data warehouses – an important first step toward compliance, but far from full operational readiness. 

LEADING VALIDATION: By contrast, other customers are actively leveraging GLNs for real-time shipment validation, demonstrating a mature, integrated approach necessary for modern supply chain security. 

This disparity means the burden of validation is often shifted upstream, leaving distributors and manufacturers to bridge the maturity gap across their partner networks. 

Bridging the Integration Gap 

Successful integration depends on the ability to scale. We’ve seen a range of integration approaches across our customer base, each shaped by organization size and system maturity:  

  • Smaller Partners (Bulk Files): Opt for one-time bulk file transfers, prioritizing simplicity over speed 
  • Larger Enterprises (API Integration): Need speed, scale and real-time API validation, which is essential for high-volume transactions
  • Emerging Standards: MedPro’s API framework allows seamless, scalable integration into existing internal systems, helping customers evolve without overhauling infrastructure

No matter the approach, automation and flexibility are key to sustainable compliance. 

The Data Governance Challenge: When Addresses Go Astray 

The single most critical obstacle to GLN compliance is data quality. The vision of a perfect one-to-one mapping between an address, a State License Number (SLN) and a GLN often clashes with real-world complexity. 

Common challenges include:

  • Address Misalignment: Ensuring GLNs align precisely with the correct physical shipping addresses is an ongoing struggle 
  • Discrepancies and Duplicates: Multiple GLNs are often assigned to different departments or suite numbers within a single location, creating confusion and friction in onboarding and validation
  • SLN Reconciliation: The reconciliation of duplicate or outdated GLNs with existing SLNs remains a heavy lift, slowing down the ATP validation workflow 
  • Wholesaler Complexity: Distributors sometimes assign multiple GLNs to a single customer, creating internal complexity for onboarding and downstream message transfers
  • GS1 Entry Errors: Even correct GLNs can fail validation if the foundational data is missing or incorrectly entered into the GS1 system – as we’ve seen with some manufacturers’ addresses missing from the standardized healthcare extract

Each of these issues can disrupt product flow and undermine trust in the data that powers compliance. 

Building Confidence with MedPro Systems 

Manual processes are no longer sustainable in an environment where accuracy, speed and validation integrity are non-negotiable. MedPro Systems provides a foundation of automation and data stewardship that empowers organizations to connect the dots between licenses and locations. 

MedProID delivers continuous SLN/GLN data validation and synchronization across your entire supply chain. 

Here’s how we help organizations move beyond compliance:  

INDUSTRY FIRST SLN-GLN CROSSWALK

Our proprietary dataset includes Serialized Global Location Numbers (sGLNs) with over 250,000 matched associations – and growing. This unmatched coverage links licensed entities directly to their physical locations, satisfying critical ATP validation requirements. 

CONTINUOUS DATA STEWARDSHIP

Our U.S.-based Data Stewardship Team proactively maintains and verifies GLN data, ensuring accuracy and minimizing the manual burden on your staff 

MULTI-PRONGED DATA CAPTURE

For complex or missing records, we combine automated file processing via BulkID with direct outreach through our Information Verification Call Center.  This process not only enriches data but also educates partners, recently helping one major distributor reduce their most challenging records by 70%, preventing costly product shipment delays. 

The Path Forward: From Compliance to Confidence 

GLN enforcement represents more than a regulatory milestone. It marks a permanent evolution in supply chain integrity. The organizations that thrive will be those that move beyond compliance to achieve data confidence. 

With MedPro Systems, you can strengthen every link in your network ensuring each record, license and location is verified, connected and ready for uninterrupted product movement.  

LEARN MORE

Learn how you can implement an accurate, scalable GLN and SLN validation process.