Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is used in pharmaceutical supply chains for track-and-trace, inventory management, and anti-counterfeiting. While most drug traceability regulations (DSCSA, EU FMD) currently require 2D barcodes rather than RFID, RFID is widely used for case and pallet-level tracking and is expected to play a larger role as regulations evolve.
UHF RFID Standards
Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) RFID operating at 860–960 MHz is the standard for pharmaceutical supply chain applications. The GS1 EPC (Electronic Product Code) standard defines the data encoding for pharmaceutical RFID tags. UHF RFID enables reading multiple tags simultaneously without line-of-sight, making it suitable for case and pallet-level tracking.
Item-Level vs Case-Level Tagging
Item-level RFID tagging (one tag per saleable unit) provides the highest visibility but is currently cost-prohibitive for most pharmaceutical products. Case-level RFID tagging (one tag per case) is widely used for distribution centre operations. Pallet-level RFID is used for receiving and shipping at warehouses. The choice of tagging level depends on the use case, product value, and regulatory requirements.
RFID and Drug Traceability
RFID can complement barcode-based drug traceability systems by enabling faster, more automated scanning at distribution centres and hospitals. Some hospital systems use RFID for automated inventory management and expiry date tracking. RFID data can be reported as EPCIS events, enabling integration with DSCSA and other track-and-trace systems.