Dec 21, 2020Schreiner MediPharm, a provider of labeling solutions, and RFiD Discovery, a supplier of RFID tracking systems, have both joined DoseID, a U.S.-based industry association dedicated to standardizing the use of radio frequency identification in the healthcare sector. Schreiner MediPharm develops and manufactures labels for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. RFiD Discovery, meanwhile, provides systems for medical asset tracking; sterile service tracking; inventory management; blood, sample and vaccine tracking; baby tagging; patient and staff safety; record tracking; and automated temperature monitoring. Both companies are headquartered in Europe.
RFID technology has been gaining traction in the healthcare sector, but standardized tools for tracking medications, devices and consumables have been lacking. DoseID's goal has thus been to ensure the quality, performance and compatibility of RFID-tagged drug products as they move through the supply chain from manufacturer to distributor, hospital and patients, across any hardware or software systems, and to establish industry guidelines building on existing standards from the RAIN Alliance and GS1.
According to Schreiner MediPharm, the unit-level serialization enabled by DoseID goes beyond the requirements of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), a standard created to secure the U.S. prescription drug supply chain. To ensure adherence to the standards established by the consortium, as well as conformity with the requirements of pharmaceutical manufacturers, compounding pharmacies, pharmacy automation services providers, and RFID inlay and tag manufacturers, a special RFID tag certification is awarded following third-party testing.
In order for pharmaceutical products to be tracked via serialized medications, containers and devices, RFID tags must deliver reliable performance at all hospital and healthcare IT systems so that the products can be monitored at the unit level and throughout their lifecycle. Schreiner MediPharm says its UHF RFID-enabled labels, known as RFID-Labels, are intended to facilitate this process since they allow integration and processing on unit-level pharmaceutical packaging lines, thereby improving the automation of processes to increase efficiency and enhance patient and drug safety.
"As a long-term provider of customized RFID labels for the healthcare industry, we see the need for interoperability and quality standards as essential to leveraging the full potential of RFID," said Stefan Wiedemann, Schreiner MediPharm's senior director for strategic marketing and business development, in a prepared statement. "We look forward to being part of the DoseID consortium to mutually drive RFID-based smart solutions to enhance the pharmaceutical supply chain."
RFiD Discovery says it is committed to driving and adopting RFID standards in healthcare to help hospitals and their associated supply chains increase efficiency, lower costs and improve patient outcomes. "By becoming a member of DoseID," the company explained in a separate prepared statement, "RFiD Discovery joins forces with other industry innovators from hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and inlay and label manufacturers through to other technology solution providers."
Arron Duddin, RFiD Discovery's smart solutions director, added, "We are very excited about joining DoseID, the first member-driven consortium of its kind in the healthcare space. We look forward to working at the forefront of this exciting project with our fellow industry partners to establish next-generation systems and universal standards which benefit healthcare providers and ultimately improve patient safety. We are also thrilled to work closely with the Auburn University RFID Lab, who will be providing the tag certification for DoseID's member companies."
DoseID was established for the purpose of introducing an industry-wide standard for tracking pharmaceutical products, including medications and vaccines (see Consortium Aims to Standardize RFID for Pharmaceuticals and Tageos Joins RFID Healthcare Consortium DoseID). Its members include Omnicell, Sandoz, Baxter, Hikma, Nephron Pharmaceuticals, Avery Dennison, Kit Check, MPI Label System and CCL Healthcare, and it leverages Auburn University's ARC Quality Certification program.
