By Rhea Wessel, Contributing Editor, RFID Operations

LONDON—A recent study in the U.K. shows counterfeited or recalled medicine can be identified at the point of dispensing by pharmacists using RFID, which should increase patient safety and help pharmaceutical companies protect their brands.

During the study, pharmacists were also alerted within minutes about a drug recall. A pain-killer produced by Merck & Co. called Vioxx was recalled, and Aegate, which ran the computers that supported the scanning system, posted the drug recall notice live on its systems within three minutes.