Bar code technology

Is anyone here an expert in this? Virtually everyone uses bar code technology in pharmacy today. But it seems like we are missing a huge opportunity. If manufacturers could include lot numbers and expiration dates into the encoded data we could easily track who has received recalled drugs, what expiration date prints on a label, when our Omnicell/Pyxis drugs expire, etc. Is there something that fundamentally prohibits this technology?
Source: Student Doctor Network - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Source Type: forums