3M today announced it has expanded its pharmaceutical collaboration for 3M’s advanced Track and Trace system that uses wireless technology known as radio frequency identification (RFID) to track and authenticate pharmaceutical products as they travel from manufacturer to dispensing sites.
Drug counterfeiting, especially with respect to pharmaceuticals, is a growing problem worldwide, posing risk to patients and adding costs to the health care system. 3M’s anti-counterfeiting approach uses an encrypted digital signature combined with a unique identifier at the manufacturing site to establish product authenticity, and that combination is decrypted and read at the dispensing site to validate authenticity. The system employs tiny RFID chips to store and transmit information via radio waves. Scanning the RFID tag imbedded on each unit of medication enables the authentication of each dose at the point of dispensing.
“For a pharmaceutical company, a principal advantage of our technology is the ability to validate a product’s authenticity without deploying significant infrastructure,” said Michael Hansberry, senior business development manager for 3M Track and Trace. “3M hosts the tracking and authentication software, and deploys RFID readers at the dispensing sites.”
“Immediate applicability is the key factor underpinning 3M’s authentication platform,” Hansberry noted. “Preventing the introduction of suspect drugs into the legitimate pharmaceutical supply chain has quickly become an issue of highest priority. Our platform delivers a straightforward technology solution that provides confidence in the integrity of drugs being dispensed with the potential of delivering business efficiencies to manufacturers and their customers.”
In 2006, 3M initiated a pilot program with TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. Based on business efficiencies identified in the pilot, 3M has expanded its collaboration with TAP to track and trace from the point of manufacturing to dispensing.
3M, a broadly diversified technology company, is a leader in the emerging field of track and trace, which employs RFID in a variety of ways to identify and track high-value assets for a growing variety of health care applications. In 2007, 3M and Mayo Clinic announced a track and trace collaboration to manage the movement of specimens and tissue samples from Mayo Clinic’s surgical suites to its pathology labs. 3M also deployed a Track and Trace system that uses RFID to track medical files at the U.S. Army’s massive Fort Hood Installation in Texas.
In addition to the expansion of this technology in the physician clinic setting, Lem Amen, vice president, 3M Track and Trace Solutions, foresees global expansion for the role of track and trace solutions in critical business processes. “3M innovation is at work in developing applications for markets such as healthcare and pharmaceuticals, supply chain security and optimization, heavy industrial processes such as construction and mining, safety and protection of people and high value assets with new applications being investigated on a regular basis,” said Amen. “Over the next decade, track and trace solutions will become a fundamental source of competitive advantage in many industries world-wide including physician practices.”
About 3M
A recognized leader in research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. 3M’s core strength is applying its more than 40 distinct technology platforms – often in combination – to a wide array of customer needs. With $24 billion in sales, 3M employs 75,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 60 countries.
3M Public RelationsColleen Horn Harris, 651-733-1566cahornharris1@mmm.comorLVM Group Inc.Bob Rumerman, 212-499-6567bob@lvmgroup.com
