It is. FDA requires manufactures to display UDIs in packaging (or devices themselves) in human and machine readable format. But hospital IT systems are not set up to capture this information and they have no compelling (i.e. financial) incentive to invest in the IT system upgrades and operational changes needed to capture this information. You would think better inventory management would be enough of a selling point, but apparently not. I am convinced that it will take government interventions - like CMS requiring UDIs on reimbursement forms - to get it done.