RFID: market research reports

The main users of RFID technology in the healthcare sector include hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, nursing homes, and pharmacies. In the pharmaceuticals sector, RFID has been deployed by a number of companies, primarily for supply chain management applications. In most cases, the technology has been deployed for particular applications or a part of the business. The number of nursing homes, and pharmacies and drug stores witnessed a small decline during the first half of this decade.

The aging population in the US and the increased prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other conditions are driving the adoption of RFID-enabled systems in nursing homes. Many nursing homes in the US are making use of various RFID-enabled applications such as wander-prevention systems. Adoption of RFID by pharmacies operating independently is estimated to be relatively low due to the high investment cost. The adoption is expected to increase in the future as the infrastructure cost is likely to decrease.

In line with the increasing popularity of RFID as an effective solution for the healthcare sector, various industry associations have taken measures to ensure the smooth integration of RFID solutions. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been promoting the use of RFID as an ideal solution for ensuring product integrity and patient safety. The FDA also permits manufacturers and other concerned players in the pharmaceutical supply chain to introduce item-level RFID tags for curbing the use of counterfeit drugs as well as for other supply chain applications. Further, for this purpose, FDA has created the Counterfeit Drug Task Force, which recommends a wider and more rapid adoption of RFID by the healthcare industry for improving the drug supply chain and product tracking. Some states have also started passing laws requiring better pharmaceutical tracking programs.