Medicine shortages strike again. Can RFID help?Medicine shortages strike again. Can RFID help?

Medicine shortages in the UK and Europe have made news headlines in recent weeks. A report identified fragile supply chains as one of the causes, with 136 medicines listed in short supply. Data from January 2024 shows that 19 countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) experienced shortages of winter antibiotics, with 11 recording critical shortages. Similar problems are highlighted in a UK report, with materials, manufacturing, quality, packaging, and supply chain challenges cited as causes.   

A set of recommendations from a leading pharmacy body calls for greater data sharing between manufacturers, wholesalers and healthcare providers for better planning and demand forecasting, and sharing good practice in the use of technology to help organisations to improve their systems.  

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology has emerged as a key tool to address many of these issues, thanks to its rapid, accurate data capture, and track-and-trace capabilities for manufacturing and supply chain operations. These solutions can enable asset visibility through real-time tracking and tracing of work in progress (WIP) and serve as a powerful deterrent against counterfeit drugs by enabling quick contactless identification and real-time data collection.   

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RFID technology can also help manufacturers ensure high product quality and patient safety by providing up-to-date information on medicinal inventories to prevent the use of expired medications. It can help manufacturers meet strict regulatory requirements by providing traceable records of pharmaceutical products.   

The complexity of pharmaceutical tracking and tracing   

Ensuring drug safety and effectiveness depends on proper traceability. Yet manufacturers face significant challenges. For example, pharmaceutical manufacturing involves coordinating and controlling many complex processes, making it difficult to accurately track all the variables associated with WIP and inventory levels.   

Unfortunately, many traditional manual and semi-automated tracking methods do not provide the accuracy and level of detail these complex processes require, leading to bottlenecks and increased production costs. For example, manual data entry errors and other inefficient tracking systems all affect a company’s ability to maintain accurate inventory records, leading to under- or overstocking and disrupting production schedules.   

Since products have limited shelf lives, a big part of pharmaceutical inventory control is expiry-date management. Because expired products cannot be sold, failure to track these dates accurately leads to waste and financial losses.   

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A related challenge manufacturers face involves compliance. Adhering to rigorous standards requires meticulous record-keeping, accurate inventory tracking and complying with good manufacturing practices (GMP).   

According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), GMP requires that medicines are of consistently high quality, are appropriate for their intended use, and meet the requirements of the marketing authorisation or clinical trial authorisation. EU guidelines can be viewed here. 

While enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing execution systems (MES) can help manufacturers manage and control inventory, these systems still rely on humans to perform tasks such as scanning parts with handheld devices, consuming valuable time. What’s needed is a technology that can automatically monitor the status, location and inventory levels of each pharmaceutical product in real time.  

Addressing manufacturing and supply chain challenges with RFID   

Addressing these WIP tracking and inventory control issues, RFID technologies unlock real-time product traceability and inventory management, leading to better drug security and regulatory compliance. These devices use electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects.  

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Tags contain electronically stored information that can be read from a distance using RFID readers, which can gather tag information at multiple points along the production line and automatically update the data within the system.   

In the pharmaceutical industry, RFID tags contain unique data that stakeholders can use to verify the authenticity of medications and track their journey through the supply chain.   

The EMA also sets out Goods Distribution Practice (GDP) requirements. Compliance with GDP ensures that medicines in the supply chain are authorised in accordance with European Union (EU) legislation and are stored in the right conditions at all times, including during transportation. It also ensures that contamination by or of other products is avoided, that adequate turnover of stored medicines takes place, and the right products reach the right addressee within a satisfactory period.  

The EMA also requires distributors to put in place a tracing system to enable faulty products to be found and an effective recall procedure. GDP also applies to the sourcing, storage and transportation of active pharmaceutical ingredients and other materials used in the production of the medicines. Similar GMP and GDP requirements exist in the UK.   

With these real-time verification and comprehensive tracking capabilities, RFID systems ensure only genuine drugs reach consumers, enhancing patient safety and preventing dangerous drug counterfeiting, which has unfortunately become a multi-billion-dollar problem.   

Automating data capture   

By automating data capture, RFID systems avoid human errors in data entry and manual tracking, minimising the risk of issues that lead to product recalls or compliance failures. RFID technologies integrate seamlessly with ERP/MES systems, avoiding the data silos and communication gaps that occur when trying to integrate disparate systems. This combination offers real-time visibility into inventory levels and production status, helping manufacturers and supply chains maintain optimal stock levels.  

Beyond the RFID solutions themselves, it’s important for pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers and healthcare providers to centralise RFID data using inventory management software. These platforms collect, manage and analyse real-time data from tagged assets, readers and sensors to create meaningful information that stakeholders can anticipate and react to.

Stephan Pottel is the Manufacturing Strategy Director, EMEA, at Zebra Technologies