Near Field Communication (NFC) is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based technology. It enables electronic devices to exchange digital content wirelessly; however, the transmission range is limited and only works up to a few centimeters, so the receiver and sender need to be in very close proximity. Reader and tag are the two electronic devices that use NFC technology to exchange data wirelessly. A tag usually retains information regarding a product and is rooted in the packaging of medical provisions. The NFC reader, which comes in a variety of devices, e.g., smartphones, communicates with the tag and reads the information kept by the tag. NFC has an increasing number of cost-effective and advantageous use cases, and pharmaceutical brands can gain a lot with the adoption of this technology.
Use-Cases of NFC in the Pharmaceutical Industry
- Safety and Integrity of Supply Chain
Counterfeit products are one of the most crucial challenges that are being faced by the pharmaceutical industry. They are not only damaging the pharmaceutical industry but also pose a serious threat to consumers’ health and life. World Health Organization is reported to state that around $32 billion yearly in revenue is lost by manufacturers around the globe because of fraudulent drug activity. WHO has also stated that 1 in 10 medical products that are being circulated in low and middle-income countries are either of poor quality or falsified.
NFC-enabled pharmaceutical products can be verified anywhere and at any time with the help of a smartphone and an internet connection. On the one hand, it enables the consumer that before consuming the product, he can verify the supply chain by just using his smartphone and the internet. On the other hand, it enables the pharmaceutical companies to ensure that only genuine products enter the logistics and distribution system.
- Customer Engagement
Technological advancement is making human life more secure, safe and easy. The patient can now see the medical prescription, dosage information and precautions, etc., by scanning the NFC-tagged medicine through NFC enabled smartphone. This entire information can be saved on the associated cloud-based architecture and can be modified as per need. Moreover, some other actions like doctor’s consultations or appointments can also be triggered via NFC.
- Fostering Pharma Co-vigilance
NFC-enabled products allow pharmaceutical companies to inform and educate patients about the channels where they can get original medicines; channels or outlets that are declared illegal; products that are expired, and batches that are recalled. On the other hand, if patients notice any sort of side effects of the medicine, they can instantly report it to the company.
- Product Efficacy Assurance
To remain efficient, medicines need to be handled with care and kept at the right temperature. When these medicines get exposed to a high temperature, they lose their efficacy. Integration of certain sensors, e.g., NTAG Smart Sensors, along with NFC tags can do intelligent temperature monitoring. It also maintains a data log of readings regarding the temperature to which the medicine is exposed. It helps verify if the medicine is still usable or not.
- Product Integrity Assurance
It is difficult to replicate NFC tags, so the company can trace NFC-tagged products and their supply channel to make sure that the products have not been tampered with and are in the same condition as manufactured and supplied. NFC tags, on the one hand, help the customers verify if a product has not been opened and tempered with, while, on the other hand, they help pharmaceutical companies manage their supply chains. NFC-tagged products can even be tracked through the last mile to the patient. In the presence of NFC tags, it becomes easy to separate the counterfeits from the original since – pharmaceutical inspectors, doctors or even any patient can verify the product’s veracity by simply tapping the tag with his smartphone.
