Articles

RFID's Near its Tipping Point...

Implementing track and trace technology is not some science project, but an imperative for the drug industry, writes Laura Osbursen, director of enterprise security for Unisys. However, the factors that have held it back may soon be disappearing.
Post Date: 12/18/2006
Author: Laura Osburnsen Director, Enterprise Security, Unisys Global Commercial ...

Detailed Study Shows ROI and Savings from RFID Implementation

A study just released by the University of Texas (Austin) shows that pharma companies that implement RFID typically realize 900% ROI. The technology should save the industry and the healthcare sector $46 billion, the research suggests.
Post Date: 12/18/2006
Author:

A Closer Look at Form-Fill-Seal Technology

Cost efficiencies are driving increased use of FFS in liquid parenteral drug packaging, but attention to process parameters, testing and validation is critical
Post Date: 11/25/2006
Author: Rakesh P. Patel, Gayatri C. Patel, Nikunjana A. Patel, Dr. Madhabhai M. Patel...

To Succeed in Outsourcing Drug Packaging, Communicate Specs and Expectations

A packaging expert offers pointers on what pharmaceutical manufacturers need to know – and to specify – in order to ensure favorable outcomes.
Post Date: 11/02/2006
Author: Heidi Parsons, Managing Editor

Minimize Bisect Risk (Part 1)

As “pill-cutting” becomes the dispensing norm, improperly designed or nonfunctional tablet bisects could pose liability issues
Post Date: 10/06/2006
Author: Fred A. Rowley, Solid Dosage Training, Inc.

Washington Letter: FMEA as a Packaging Tool

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis promises to become a more important risk assessment tool for pharmaceutical manufacturing. Could its use be required for labeling and packaging?
Post Date: 09/11/2006
Author: Stephen Barlas, Washington Correspondent

Contract Research Drives China's Pharma Sector

Contract research is both a vehicle for Chinese pharmas to expand their R&D expertise and quality levels, and a bridge for them to enter global markets.
Post Date: 08/07/2006
Author: Yibing Zhou, BioPlan Associates, Inc.

Lutter Briefs House Subcommittee on FDA's Anti-Counterfeiting Action Plan
Randall W. Lutter, Ph.D., FDA's Associate Commissioner for Policy and Planning, on July 11 addressed the House Committee on Government Reform's Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources. He reported on the progress — and lack thereof — that FDA and industry have made toward the goals ...
Post Date: 07/14/2006
Author:

Reading Between the Lines of FDA’s Counterfeit Drug Report

In June, FDA’s Counterfeit Drug Task Force issued a long-awaited report that signaled the Agency’s current thinking on RFID, drug pedigrees and other issues critical to supply chain security. ABI Research analyst Sara Shah has taken a fine tooth comb to the report, and tells us what FDA is really saying, and what ...
Post Date: 07/13/2006
Author: Sara Shah, Industry Analyst, ABI Research

Will Near-Field UHF Be Pharma’s Item-Level Savior?

Near-field UHF RFID has created a buzz in the drug industry, raising the possibility of an end-to-end UHF-enabled supply chain — which would significantly hold down costs of RFID implementation. Proponents say that the performance of NF could rival high frequency (HF) at the item level. This exclusive excerpt from a...
Post Date: 07/13/2006
Author:

Ga. Tech’s New Techniques Speed Malaria Drug Verification
Georgia Institute of Technology’s Facundo Fernandez and his team are developing test methods that can distinguish between real and counterfeit malaria drugs, in just five seconds per sample.
Post Date: 07/12/2006
Author:

Do You Really Understand the Tablet Press Overload Set Point?

It’s not a critical process or quality parameter, but the right overload set point is essential to the safety of your operators and equipment. Tableting expert Fred Rowley discusses what it can and cannot do.
Post Date: 07/05/2006
Author: Fred Rowley, principal, Solid Dosage Training, Inc.

Cardinal Bets on UHF

Believe it or not, the success of item-level UHF may depend on shrink-wrapping, says Cardinal’s Renard Jackson.
Post Date: 06/15/2006
Author: Paul Thomas, Managing Editor

RFID Battles the Elements

Metal can be friend or foe. Water is always troubling. And even glass and plastic can impede success. Making RFID work in a pharmaceutical setting takes materials and packaging expertise, and a little black magic. We survey the experts on what they know, and what they don’t.
Post Date: 06/15/2006
Author: Paul Thomas, Managing Editor

Can Pharma Lead the Debate over RFID and Privacy?

RFID can be used to empower drug buyers, not invade their privacy.
Post Date: 06/15/2006
Author: Daniel Deavours, Director of Research, RFID Alliance Lab, University of Kansas

Pfizer Learns by Doing with RFID

Pfizer Global Technology packaging expert Tim Marsh takes us through lessons learned on the long road to RFID success.
Post Date: 06/14/2006
Author: Paul Thomas, Managing Editor

Servos Help Bottle Filler/Capper Provide Pharmaceutical Flexibility

This article from our sister site, ControlDesign.com, spotlights a machine builder's monoblock servo bottle filler/capper motion control system that uses four servo axes and three variable-speed motors to control its motion accurately.
Post Date: 05/25/2006
Author: Jim Montague, Executive Editor, Control Design

Inside GSK’s New RFID Pilot

The initial benefits will be modest, but GSK’s new pilot goes beyond what other manufacturers have attempted to do with RFID data, says IBM’s Paul Chang.
Post Date: 05/05/2006
Author: Paul Thomas, Managing Editor

GSK, CSMA Pilot Materials Analysis for Anti-Counterfeiting
CSMA, an industry expert in materials analysis, has developed a method for detecting counterfeit drugs which could revolutionize detection practice in the pharmaceutical industry.
Post Date: 05/05/2006
Author:

Should RFID Certification Be Your Next Career Move?

There’s a dearth of systems integrators and other workers skilled in the ways of RFID; a new certification program will address that need, and could provide a much-needed career boost to those who take part.
Post Date: 05/05/2006
Author: Paul Thomas, Managing Editor