H. D. Smith Wholesale Drug Company, one of the USA''s largest pharmaceutical wholesalers, has become the first wholesaler to install the EPC RFID system from Matrics Inc. to track controlled substance pharmaceuticals in its distribution centre.
     Pharmaceuticals are tagged with EPC-compliant RFID tags as they move into ''the vault'' (a caged area in the wholesaler''s distribution centre). Currently, when an order is shipped, each item''s bar code is scanned to ensure accuracy of goods tracking. But now the pharmaceuticals will instead be placed in a tote and passed through an RFID portal. 116.30.147.133 This article is copyright 2004 UsingRFID.com.

     All items are now identified using an attached EPC tag, and are identifiable down to the specific bottle serial number level. This is the first step in enabling electronic pedigrees (a history of where the drug has been throughout the entire pharmaceutical supply chain).

Item level pedigree
     "We see benefits in two key areas: product handling and logistics, and supply chain integrity," explained Robert Kashmer, vice president of IT for H.D. Smith. "We will be able to track a specific bottle or pack of a product throughout the building and then to the account. This includes a physical inventory within the distribution centre of the products with RFID tags. And RFID will allow us to access an electronic pedigree for the specific product, which is currently done manually."

     Matrics'' one-inch square tag design is small enough to fit on almost all pharmaceutical bottles and packages. "We are extremely pleased to have been selected by H.D. Smith as their EPC RFID provider," commented Liz Churchill, director of life sciences solutions for Matrics.

Tracking to the pharmacy
     In the forthcoming second phase of the wholesaler''s implementation, one retail unit in Springfield, Illinois, will receive the tagged items, extending the electronic pedigree another stage beyond the warehouse. According to H. D. Smith, these EPC tagged items are bulk units for pharmacy use only, with the pharmacist filling orders from them, so it can be guaranteed that none of the RFID tags will be present on the products, boxes, or bottles taken home by consumers.

Technology partners
     In creating the complete solution for H. D. Smith, Matrics teamed up with Franwell Inc. as the equipment integrator. Franwell not only installed the Matrics RFID system but also utilised the Edgeware platform from GlobeRanger to accelerate application development. The application deployed includes shipping and receiving processes, reporting features, and an initial user interface that allows the wholesaler to focus attention on internal system data integration and operating procedures.

 

 

 

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