Gutknecht Applauds Introduction of RFID Bill in Senate

Gutknecht Applauds Introduction of RFID Bill in Senate

Reducing Fraudulent and Imitation Drugs Act introduced by Senator David Vitter (R-LA)

Representative Gil Gutknecht (MN-01) today applauded Senator David Vitter (R-LA) for introducing the Reducing Fraudulent and Imitation Drugs (RFID) Act, a bill designed to combat prescription drug counterfeiting. Gutknecht and Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) authored and introduced the same bill in the House of Representatives.

"We're one step closer to cracking down on fake prescription drugs," said Gutknecht. "Experts tell us that almost 10 percent of global pharmaceutical commerce is counterfeit, and that number is growing by the day."

The RFID Act would require manufacturers to use counterfeit-resistant technologies in the packaging of prescription drugs. Examples of this would include sealing drugs individually in plastic rather than the current practice of loose in bottles, and including microscopic tracking devices on packages and crates. These measures would offer an unbroken chain of information on where a drug originated, where it traveled, and how it was handled along the way.

"These technologies will make it vastly more difficult to counterfeit prescription drugs," said Vitter. "This legislation will address serious safety concerns and protect American consumers."

http://www.gil.house.gov/Newsroom/Press/2006/APR/042806pd.htm