ePillz.com - Pfizer Fights Counterfeit Viagra

Pfizer Fights Counterfeit Viagra

January 6, 2006 - Pfizer Inc. –

From now on all the packages of Viagra, sold in the USA, will be equipped with the special radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, called to decrease the counterfeiting of this popular impotence medication and to increase pharmacies’ and patients’ confidence that they are using authentic Viagra.

Now all packages, as well as cases and pallets of Viagra are supplied with a unique electronic product code (EPC). Thus, wholesalers and pharmacies can use special EPC scanners to read the codes on Viagra and check their authenticity over the secure web site of Pfizer.

Actually, Pfizer is the first pharmaceutical company to use such brand-new technology in protecting its products from counterfeiting. Though it cost several million dollars for the company to provide the authentication program, based on the radio frequency technology, Pfizer believes it will decrease significantly the number of fake Viagra on the market. The reason for it is rather simple - it is very expensive and difficult to counterfeit the RFID tags on each package of the product.

"The primary goal for adding the technology is to enhance patient safety," said Tom McPhillips, vice president of Pfizer's U.S. Trade Group, as it is stated in the official press-release. "We want pharmacists who fill prescriptions for Pfizer medicines, and patients who use those medicines, to have increased confidence that they are receiving authentic product and not a potentially dangerous fake. We are creating additional barriers for criminals who might attempt to counterfeit our products."

For the time being RFID tags will be supplied only to those Viagra packages, which are intended for sale on the US territory. This is caused by serious concerns of Pfizer as well as American Food and Drug Administration that the number of counterfeit drugs has increased during the past several years. Moreover, this tendency was revealed in the USA, whose medicine distribution system is considered to be one of the safest in the world.

This news proves again that Pfizer with its Viagra is still a leader on the market of medications to treat male erectile dysfunction.

About RFID technology Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology started its history in earlier 20th century and now it is used for verifying and tracking animals, books in the libraries or transport containers and pallets as well as for building access control or for airplane baggage tracking.

RFID method is based on the data storing in small devices, called RFID tags, implemented into the products or animals for example, and retrieving the data with the help of scanners or transponders.

RFID tag contains silicon chip to store information and antenna to receive and respond to radio queries. Mostly these tags are passive (like those, used on Viagra). That means that they have no internal power supply and can only respond to queries from scanners, informing them about the electronic code, stored in such tags.

Nick

External resources
http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/are/investors_releases/2006pr/mn_2006_0106.jsp
http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/subsites/counterfeit_importation/index.jsp
http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/subsites/counterfeit_importation/mn_faq_counterf...
http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/are/news_releases/2004pr/mn_2004_1115.jsp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID