Genuine medicine? Why safeguarding the pharmaceutical supply chain from counterfeit drugs with RFID is vital for protecting public health and the health of the pharmaceutical industry

Purpose - This paper seeks to investigate the fast-growing problem of counterfeit prescription drugs and the steps being taken by both the private and public sectors to counteract it. Design/methodology/approach - The author documents both the size and scope of the counterfeit pharmaceutical problem in the USA. The paper also looks at the steps being taken by pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers, as well as legal efforts being undertaken by federal and state governments, to counteract the growing concerns over fake medicines being introduced into the pharmaceutical supply chain. Findings - The paper builds the business case for radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to be employed to track pharmaceuticals in the supply chain and counter the growing threat of counterfeit drugs. Research limitations/implications - The principal limitation of this research is that it is being conducted on both a rapidly evolving problem (counterfeit pharmaceuticals) and the use of a rapidly developing technology (RFID) to counteract it. Thus, in time, the parameters of both the counterfeit drug problem and the technological solutions to it may shift dramatically. Practical implications - The paper demonstrates that RFID provides the only effective method of providing "track and trace" electronic pedigrees for prescription drugs. Originality/value - The paper is a valuable overview of the problems associated with the vulnerability of the pharmaceutical supply chain in the USA and the potential cost-effective, life-saving use of RFID to better secure prescription drugs, both in transit and in inventory.