The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final report highlighting steps the agency is taking to keep the US drug supply secure in the face of increasingly sophisticated criminal efforts to introduce counterfeit drugs and schedule II controlled drug diversion. "The FDA will lead the way in taking the steps necessary to keep our nation's drug supply safe and secure," said Commissioner Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D.

Information Mediary Corporation (IMC) continues to address the escalating problems of security and drug counterfeiting through continued innovation and technologies. IMC is pleased to announce its latest addition to its Med-ic Electronic Content Monitor (ECM) devices lineup, eCAP/Secure, an RFID solution that seamlessly integrates into the existing packaging process of medications by pharmaceutical companies. IMC's eCAP/Secure solution provides a simple, manageable solution for supply chain and storage security monitoring as well as being an aid for inventory control and accountability.

The base technology consists of a Med-ic eCAP built into standard medication bottle closures (www.ecap.biz). At the point of shipment, the eCAP is "armed" using the eCAP CertiScan RFID Reader. Once armed, the eCAP closure will detect and record any tampering with the bottle closure during transit or storage. Replacing or bypassing physical tamper seals will not foil the eCAP technology.

At the time of shipping, the eCAP is programmed with information such as medication identification and certification code, tablet count, manufacturer and intended destination along with a disarm code (PIN).

At the destination the entire initial information, plus any tampering and opening events which occurred during transportation can be viewed and analyzed using the eCAP CertiScan wireless RFID scanner and computer software. A blinking LED provides an immediate visual indication of unauthorized openings during transport.

To curb theft by pharmacy employees, the pharmacist can activate additional features available as part of the eCAP/Secure solution. For instance, a schedule can be uploaded to the eCAP memory to record any unauthorized event during off-hours of the pharmacy. In case of unauthorized attempt to open a bottle, eCAP will not only record the time of the event, but also sound an alarm to deter a would-be thief.

During regular pharmacy business hours, eCAP can be programmed to require employees to scan the bottle after dispensing tablets from it and enter the tablet-count before placing the bottle back in storage. Failure to scan and enter pill-count will cause an alarm. This alarm could only be disabled by duly-authorized personnel.