Pfizer uses electronic tags for Viagra in US
Pfizer has started to attach radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to all packs of Viagra (sildenafil) sold in the US.
This means that pharmacies and wholesalers can confirm the authenticity
of packs using specially designed scanners that use the internet to check
an electronic code embedded in the tags against a Pfizer database.
The tags cannot currently be used to track and trace products as they
move through the supply chain because that would require all distributors
to invest in the necessary technology and agree to share information
about product movement.
A Pfizer spokeswoman said that there were no plans to introduce the system
in the UK in the short term.
In Britain, PA Consulting is investing £15m in developing
a commercial RFID system for use in pharmacies (PJ, 7 May 2005, p537).
The planned system, which has already been tested, reads RFID tags attached
to individual medicine packs, matches the tag identification with a central
database of product information provided by manufacturers and displays
the result. This confirms the identity of the product and provides any
other information the maker has provided, including expiry dates and
safety warnings. PA Consulting subsidiary Aegate has been in discussions
with pharmacy IT system suppliers with a view to integrating its technology
with dispensary systems. |
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