Label Format and Material


All manufactured blood components released for issue to hospital customers have a standard format label applied to the container/bag. This is often referred to as the ‘end label’. Labelling of blood and blood components by blood operators in Canada aligns with the ISBT 128 Standard: Technical Specification (published by ICCBBA, Inc.), the definitive source describing the ISBT 128 labelling standard. There are several options outlined in the ISBT 128 Standard: Technical Specification that are to be nationally determined.


The Canadian Guidelines for the Uniform Labelling of Blood and Blood Components Using ISBT 128 describes the options selected by the Canadian blood operators, Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec for use in Canada and is intended to be used in conjunction with the ISBT 128 Standard: Technical Specification. 

The following chart, along with the Canadian Guidelines for the Uniform Labelling of Blood and Blood Components Using ISBT 128, provides hospitals that are upgrading or implementing a laboratory information system with quick links to Customer Letters with relevant product, facility and ABO/Rh codes.

PRODUCT CODE FACILITY/SITE CODES ABO/RH CODES

List of most recent product codes.

Report run date:
2023-12-19

 List of /site most recent facility codes. The list of ABO/Rh codes can be found in appendix 1 of the Canadian Guidelines for the Uniform Labelling of Blood and Blood Components Using ISBT 128.
Standard-ISBT-128-Label-updated-may-2014