RFID technology uses radio waves to monitor tagged objects and some health systems have used the tools for years. Columbus-based OhioHealth uses RFID tags to track employees who virtually interact with patients, while Syracuse, N.Y.-based SUNY Upstate Medical Center utilizes RFID to trace medications.
In a 2024 survey conducted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, about 22% of hospital respondents said their organization used RFID tags. This statistic will likely grow, according to the American Hospital Association.
In a Feb. 25 post, the AHA said “more organizations are giving RFID a second look to aid in medication management accuracy, safety and efficiency.”
The traditional method of medication management is through barcodes, but RFID technology can assess more drugs wirelessly, in one scan and in real time, according to the AHA.
Although the tool accelerates the recall process, one potential downside is the labor required to tag each product. At Houston-based Texas Children’s Hospital, leaders averted this issue by tagging the 784 high-value and specialty drugs that cost upward of $100 per unit instead of every medication.
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