IT: RFID tracking system goes live for painkiller

The maker of Oxycontin and a drug wholesaler are launching the first attempt to use RFID technology to track the movements of prescription drugs through the supply chain. Purdue Pharma, which makes the controversial painkiller, and drug wholesaler H.D. Smith are teaming up with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Supplyscape and Unisys on the pilot. The news comes at a time when more than a dozen states are pushing for stricter rules. Purdue says it has spent about $2 million on the initiative, which some observers say could serve as a model for a national tracking system.

- see this story [1] from The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)