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About EPC in the Healthcare Industry
How is EPCglobal participating?
Pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors as well as retail pharmacy
chains are working with EPCglobal US to develop standards for EPC
technologies to form the basis of a universal track-and-trace system that
would comply with the United States Food and Drug Administration’s request
to secure this critical supply chain.
The EPCglobal Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry Action Group is charged
with supporting members as they comply with pedigree laws worldwide.
Participation includes key industry groups such as the Healthcare
Distribution Management Association (HDMA), the National Association of
Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
America (PhRMA) and others.
EPCglobal is working with industry to address critical needs:
- Pedigree Management (including a Pedigree Messaging Standard)
- Air Interface Standard for item level tagging
- Serialization (the format of the EPC on the tag)
- Decommissioning of tags
- Network Security
How does EPC Technology secure the pharmaceutical supply chain?
Using EPC-based RFID to improve pharmaceutical pedigrees will allow
wholesalers and retailers to rapidly identify, quarantine and report
suspected counterfeit drugs, a significant global issue.
EPC technology can read and authenticate shipments with no “line of sight”
needed, identifying expired items without handling them and thus reducing
the risk for error or diversion.
Presently, EPC tags are being used in the pharmaceutical supply chain to
help ensure the safe and secure delivery of pharmaceutical products from the
point of manufacture to the pharmacy.
Why is it important to fight pharmaceutical counterfeiting now?
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10 percent of worldwide
trade
in pharmaceuticals is counterfeit.
The Centre for Medicines in the Public Interest says counterfeit drug sales
will likely total $75 billion in 2010, an increase of more than 90 percent
from 2005 levels.
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