Why RFID for anti-counterfeiting needs extra security

MIKOH market survey outlines key RFID considerations for the pharmaceutical supply chain

Wednesday September 26, 2007
 
http://www.usingrfid.com/news/read.asp?lc=n91959kx1211zw
 
Pharmaceutical and distribution decision makers generally recognise the importance of e-pedigree information to protect against shrinkage, diversion and counterfeiting, according to MIKOH Corporation's latest research covering RFID usage in the industry.
 
The survey polled executive decision makers across the pharmaceutical and distribution industries, and found that 67% of respondents have experienced pharmaceutical tampering in the past.
 
RFID as a cure-all?

To protect their products better, 95% of respondents identified RFID as the ideal solution to protect pharmaceutical integrity during manufacturing and distribution.
 
But the survey also found that simple RFID is not enough to ensure pharmaceutical product integrity. Over three-quarters (76%) of respondents said that RFID tags must also be physically secure to safeguard against shrinkage, diversion and counterfeiting.
 
Physical security too

The survey suggests that physical security is critical for the success of RFID based pharmaceutical e-pedigree applications. MIKOH was therefore quick to highlight that its own Smart&Secure technology provides RFID tamper-evidence to help meet e-pedigree requirements. In its basic configuration, tampering with a Smart&Secure tag renders it inoperable. And a more complex tracking configuration allows the compromised tag to continue functioning after tampering, with the tampering being detectable by an RFID reader instead.
 
In the US, at least, government e-pedigree mandates are designed to provide certainty within the pharmaceutical supply chain from the manufacturer to the end-user. According to Andrew Strauch, vice president of product marketing and management for MIKOH, "Tamper evident RFID is essential within these mandates to protect both the pharmaceutical user, as well as the pharmaceutical manufacturer's multi-billion dollar brands."

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