RFID-tags applied by AB to follow the universal RAIN RFID standard; RFID tags can be read and managed by any technology solution capable of reading such tags

A first for the pharmaceutical supply chain, global healthcare company AmerisourceBergen (AB) today launched its RFID Tagging Service. Through this service, pharmacy customers nationwide can now choose to purchase product from AB that comes with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags applied. These tags adhere to universal standards set by the RAIN Alliance and can be read and managed by any RAIN RFID technology system capable of reading RFID tags, including commonly utilized kit and tray management solutions. This technology-agnostic tagging service is enabled through an open-source model that freely discloses the tag decoding information to any interested technology provider.

“This new solution relieves our manufacturer partners and pharmacy customers of the labor-intensive process of manually tagging product themselves,” said Matt Wolf, Senior Vice President, Provider Solutions, AmerisourceBergen. “We also hope this solution breaks down barriers for customers in utilizing RFID technologies and gives them more tools to reduce risk and create efficiencies in their organizations.”

RAIN RFID is a wireless technology that connects billions of tagged products to the internet, enabling users to identify, locate, authenticate, and engage each item regardless of where the product may have originated from. Adhering tags to standards set by the RAIN Alliance ensures that each tag has a unique company identification number (CIN), differentiating AB’s tags from those of other companies.

“We commend AmerisourceBergen for being the first pharmaceutical distributor to apply our standards universally,” said Steve Halliday, president, RAIN Alliance. “AmerisourceBergen’s deployment of tech-agnostic RAIN RFID tags benefits our entire healthcare system, creating efficiencies and improving safety for sites of care across the country.”

AB will provide information associated with any pharmaceutical product the company applies RAIN RFID tags to, such as a National Drug Code (NDC), batch/lot and expiration date. Through an "open-source" model, any technology provider or other interested party can access the RAIN RFID decoding information available at www.amerisourcebergen.com/RFID-data. NDC, batch/lot and expiration data will be updated frequently to ensure that RAIN RFID technology providers’ systems can take advantage of AB-sourced RFID-enabled products without the need for costly integrations or complex partnership agreements.

Dustin Roller, Vice President of Innovation Product Development at AmerisourceBergen added, “Having the ability to apply tags like this today will address immediate inventory management needs—specifically providing reliability, increasing simplicity, and improving safety—but also lay a strong foundation for future innovation in healthcare. The potential use cases for RFID-enabled products are boundless, and we’re happy to help make this more pervasive in the industry.”

For more than a decade, AmerisourceBergen has brought leading RFID-enabled solutions to the market, including its medication tray solution and mobile app that enables health systems to manage and monitor inventory with consistent ease and accuracy. AmerisourceBergen has thousands of connected devices globally, each offering compliance rigor from cold chain to ambient pharmaceutical supply chain tracking, in healthcare settings, and in patient homes.

To learn more about AmerisourceBergen’s RFID Tagging Service, please visit: www.amerisourcebergen.com/pharmaceutical-distribution.

About AmerisourceBergen

AmerisourceBergen fosters a positive impact on the health of people and communities around the world by advancing the development and delivery of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. As a leading global healthcare company, with a foundation in pharmaceutical distribution and solutions for manufacturers, pharmacies, and providers, we create unparalleled access, efficiency, and reliability for human and animal health. Our 42,000 global team members power our purpose: We are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures. AmerisourceBergen is ranked #8 on the Fortune 500 with more than $200 billion in annual revenue. Learn more at Amerisourcebergen.com.

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