What is GMDN?

The Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) is a comprehensive set of terms, within a structured category hierarchy, which name and group ALL medical device products including implantables, medical equipment, consumables, and diagnostic devices.

The GMDN Agency has been established to provide health authorities and regulators, health care providers, manufacturers and others with a system that allows an exchange of medical device information and supports patient safety. Read more about the agency’s role.

Our vision is to provide a single common language for all medical technology, and for it to be adopted by medical device regulators, manufacturers and other participants in healthcare systems worldwide. Our 5 year strategy lays out ambitious plans for growth.

The GMDN is used for:

• Data exchange between manufacturers, regulators and healthcare authorities
• Exchange of post-market vigilance information
• Supporting inventory control in hospitals
• Purchasing and supply chain management

Information in the form of a 5 digit numeric GMDN Code is cross-referenced to a precisely defined Term Name and Definition, as seen in this example:

• GMDN Term Name: Scalpel, single-use
• GMDN Code: 47569
• GMDN Definition: A sterile, hand-held, manual surgical instrument constructed as a one-piece handle and scalpel blade (not an exchangeable component) used by the operator to manually cut or dissect tissue. The blade is typically made of high-grade stainless steel alloy or carbon steel and the handle is often made of plastic. This is a single-use device.

Access to the GMDN database is priced according to organisation size. Compare our plans to find the best one for your needs and sign up to become a GMDN member.

How does it work?