Counterfeiting of products that decreases the security of patients and causes damage for manufacturers and traders is a growing problem today. According to professionals, suppliers who provide integrated solutions preventing drug counterfeiting have reason to expect considerable success. Pharmaceutical factories aiming to serve consumers better are also fighting against drug counterfeiting, but tracking real drugs is very difficult, even for bigger companies.
Testing RFID technology (product identification based on radio frequency) for pharmaceutical application has started early 2005 under the direction of State Printing House. The solutions developed range from automatic identification of pallets to tracking of individual drugs. Employing the system improves transparency of store supplies, decreases labour input during reception, storing and distribution of products, and provides security against counterfeiting and pilferage. Reputable companies were aiding Bureau of Printing in the development of these solutions.
Békéscsaba Kner Packaging and State Printing Company provide drug-boxes with RFID identification material, so it will be possible to track drug-boxes arriving at pharmaceutical factories during their whole lifetime. EPCglobal Hungary (GS1 Magyarország Kht) will maintain individual identification of drugs and tracking according to international standards.
ODIN Budapest provides development and effective establishment of RF infrastructure at individual locations of the supply chain, e.g. pharmaceutical factories, logistical centers and pharmacies. TEVA is considering the establishment of a secure RFID network that identifies and traces drugs at item-, case- and pallet-level in distribution centers. Synchronizing of hardware assets and database-maintaining was successfully accomplished by Oracle engineers. Providing suitable middleware/software is crucial for the faultless operation of drug-distribution: it filters information taken from drugs, prosecutes logical equivalencies, and follows processes attached to RFID operation.