He added, “The same is true when you get into item-level tagging. There has to be a business case to do it and whether it’s tracking counterfeits or improving inventory control, RFID can do those things well.”
When Opportunity Knocks
Item-level tagging is just one opportunity for RFID-enabled printers. In the pharmaceutical industry, the primary motivation for using RFID is anti-counterfeiting. Item-level tagging isn’t limited to the prescription bottles individuals receive from the pharmacy, explained Ryan. Instead, it pertains more to the bulk products that go out to the pharmacy and are then divided up. “The FDA has looked at various ways to track certain classes of pharmaceuticals, and although it hasn’t mandated it yet, it strongly suggests pharmaceutical manufacturers look at RFID. Pfizer is using item-level tagging on Viagra, and a couple of other pharmaceutical companies are either in the pilot stage or in limited rollout with RFID-enabled smart labels,” Ryan commented.