Pilot runs of an electronic drug tracking and authentication program have been completed successfully by SecureTrace, a U.K. drug counterfeit-fighting syndicate. The program, led by authentication solutions provider Authentix, traces each step of a drug's supply-chain journey.
The starting point is a high-speed packaging line at drugmaker Reckitt Benckiser. Drugs get a unique and secure 2-D barcode imprint that contains authentication markers in the ink. A laser surface authentication system then generates a fingerprint. Pack data is assembled into cartons, which are marked with barcodes and RFID labels.
A master database stores the ID information; field readers provide authentication and verification of the product throughout the supply chain.
Separately, the Rx-360 pharmaceutical supply-chain consortium has launched an audit-sharing pilot program to collect audit reports and data from 30 suppliers in North America, Europe, China and India. The idea is to make available suppliers' existing audit data to sponsors, so drugmakers can better gauge what additional auditing--if any--they need to do. The pilot's objective is to see how useful audit sharing is to consortium members.
- here's the SecureTrace release
- see the Rx-360 article