FDA urges quick implementation of RFID

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 7/1/2006

In a report issued last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stopped short of mandating RFID technology in the pharmaceutical supply chain. However, the agency strongly encouraged drug companies to implement RFID as a means of tracking drug pedigrees to fight counterfeit drugs.

"We continue to believe that RFID is the most promising technology for implementing electronic track and trace in the drug supply chain and that stakeholders should move quickly to implement this technology," says the report.

In a similar report issued two years ago, the FDA said it expected wide adoption of RFID in the drug supply chain by 2007. At that time, the FDA delayed enforcing drug pedigree regulations to give the industry time to adopt RFID technology. It is now clear that RFID will not be widely adopted by 2007.

"We understand the complexity in moving toward an e-pedigree and recognize that a hybrid approach using both paper and electronic pedigrees will be needed during a transition period," says the report.