Packaging giant O-I has devised a method of embedding RFID inlays into pharmaceutical packaging for each of the four typical pharmaceutical dosage forms: solids, gelcaps, powders, and liquids. In addition, the solution works with either HF or UHF, enabling O-I clients to elect whichever technology best suits their needs.
The drug store chain will begin reading tagged bottles of Viagra received at its DC in Perryman, Md., and plans to equip two of its stores with handheld RFID readers so pharmacists can track incoming tagged bottles.
The drugmaker will use Gen 2 RFID technology to track cases and pallets and test the concept of case-level serialization and authentication, which could help wholesalers catch counterfeit Viagra.
The pharmaceutical distributor is installing an EPCIS-based system to track tagged bottles and cases of drugs passing through one of its DCs. Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline will be among the participating drugmakers.
One system reads EPC Gen 2 UHF tags on items, while the other reads both HF tags on items and UHF tags on cases.
The company’s RFID system, installed in Germany last summer, is already paying dividends, increasing worker productivity by almost 60 percent.
A system developed by the two companies uses public-key elliptic-curve cryptography (ECC) to encrypt a drug’s National Drug Code (NDC). Supply-chain partners can read the encrypted tags to authenticate that the goods are genuine.
The automaker sees open standards as key to achieving its vision of collaborating with the wider supply network.
Steve Dean, director of business development at RFID systems integrator Franwell, says it can—and explains why.
Vue Technology today announced a solution for item-level tagging in retail pharmacies that uses UHF RFID. Based on the existing TrueVUE RFID platform, the solution represents what the company claims is the first UHF item-level tagging solution for pharmacies.
Companies attending RFID Journal LIVE! Canada heard numerous success stories and took note.
Canadian supermarket giant Loblaw has recently completed an RFID pilot project and plans to work closely with its suppliers to develop an RFID strategy.