RFID-Enabled Rigid Needle Shields for unit serialization and tracking

The traceability of parenteral drug products is currently performed at the batch level. Health and regulatory authorities are assessing the feasibility of implementing unit serialization for injectables which would bring significantly improved traceability and, by extension, better patient protection. This article introduces digitally enabled Rigid Needle Shield (RNS) technology from Aptar Pharma incorporating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips. The miniaturized RFID chip is embedded in the RNS and acts as a tag for the injectable that can be read at any time from filling to dose delivery. This approach is relatively easy to integrate within established filling lines and offers significant advantages relative to alternatives such as glass etching.