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RFID in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Addressing Counterfeits with Technology

  • Systems-Level Quality Improvement
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Abstract

The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in the pharmaceutical industry has grown in recent years. The technology has matured from its specialized tracking and retail uses to a systemic part of supply chain management in international pharmaceutical production and distribution. Counterfeit drugs, however, remain a significant challenge for governments, pharmaceutical companies, clinicians, and patients and the use of RFID to track these compounds represents an opportunity for development. This paper discusses the medical, technological, and economic factors that support widespread adoption of RFID technology in the pharmaceutical industry in an effort to prevent counterfeit medicines from harming patients and brand equity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Medicine Group, New Hope, PA, USA

    Douglas Taylor

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  1. Douglas Taylor
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Correspondence to Douglas Taylor.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Systems-Level Quality Improvement

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Taylor, D. RFID in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Addressing Counterfeits with Technology. J Med Syst 38, 141 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-014-0141-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-014-0141-y

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