Information technology for improving
track and trace capabilities.
To manage, monitor, and secure container
shipments, Savi and Qualcomm
co-developed an integrated service to
provide real-time track and trace capability:
Savi uses RFID tags, readers,
software, and electronic seals placed
on cargo containers, while Qualcomm
uses satellites to track and trace the
container movement and the seal status
information conveyed by the RFID
readers and the electronic seals. In
Europe, the pharmaceutical industry
started a new initiative in 2010 that
is intended to fight the trade of counterfeit
drugs. Under this initiative,
pharmaceutical manufacturers add a
serialization code (a unique machine
readable “passport” number) to each
pack of medicine before distribution,
where this passport number is scanned at each link of the supply
chain all the way to the pharmacist.
By using direct communication links
among the pharmacy, the pharmaceutical
manufacturer, and the regulatory
body, the pharmacist can authenticate
the drug, the pharmaceutical firm can
know if its drug has been counterfeited,
and the regulator can take appropriate
actions (for example, product
recalls) immediately. In Africa, HP
and the African social enterprise network
mPedigree teamed up in 2012
to develop a drug authentication effort
to combat counterfeit drugs in
2012. Under this effort, pharmaceutical
manufacturers add a “scratch-off
label” containing a verification code
before distribution. When a customer
buys the medicine at the pharmacy,
the customer scratches the label to receive
the code, and sends a Short Message
Service (SMS) text message to the
pharmaceutical manufacturer via mobile
phone so the manufacturer can
verify the drug’s authenticity.