Radio Frequency Identification is Revolutionizing Medication Management

In health care, new technologies are increasingly being studied and implemented to improve medication safety, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is one such evolution that is allowing for the more efficient capture of data in health systems, allowing for patient, asset, and medical personnel tracking. The RFID market is quickly expanding, highlighting the importance of rapid education and integration efforts.¹

What is RFID?

RFID technology allows for automatic data collection and the traceability of products. Without any physical contact required, an RFID tag on a product or person is read and transferred using radio waves, allowing for real-time and efficient data collection. Compared with traditional barcode scanning, RFID readers differ in that a greater number of tags can be read from a longer distance, with no need to approach the tag reader.¹

This technology has made it possible to designate electronic labels to assets, patients, or health care personnel, which can then be managed and tracked in a centralized database. Either alone or in combination with other technologies, RFID has the potential to significantly change the management of public health and has already been applied to numerous sectors in health care over the last 5 years.^1,2

How RFID is Being Used in Hospitals

One scoping review of research published since 2020 found that RFID technology is being increasingly employed in numerous fashions. RFID is being used to reduce medical errors in the operating room through detecting and tracking surgical material to monitor their usage rate and prevent breakage. The technology is also being used in infection prevention and control through pH meters that can detect, through a non-contact electronic reading based on RFID, when wounds are healing or worsening.¹

Patient identification is a key area where RFID technology can improve efficiency and reduce misidentification by reducing incorrect drug administration and dosage. RFID can also assist in remote and real-time monitoring of vital signs, including blood pressure, heartbeat, and body temperature. Overall, RFID tags are optimizing outcomes for both the patient and medical and nursing staff.^1,2

Applying RFID Technology in Pharmacy Settings

In pharmacies, RFID technology can expand the capabilities of health care providers and ensure optimal medication management while freeing up more time for pharmacists to directly care for patients. Countless aspects of RFID can be easily applied in pharmacies and in specialty centers across health care systems, especially regarding inventory control, speeding up receiving and reconciliation, and ensuring prescription accuracy.³

RFID allows for automatic analysis of pharmacy inventory without the use of manual counting, which can be a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. Each medication product can be affixed with an RFID tag so pharmacists can precisely track inventory, with RFID technology able to automatically initiate reorder processes and minimize the risk of a medication shortage. Further, RFID tags can notify pharmacists when a medication is approaching expiration or has been recalled, allowing for prompt stock rotation and reducing financial losses.³

Incorporating RFID can also revolutionize patient safety, which is always paramount in pharmacy operations. RFID ensures medications are authentic in real-time, mitigating the threat of counterfeit products entering the pharmacy workflow. RFID allows for pharmacy workflows to be optimized at every level through the automation of countless manual tasks, including the automatic updating of a patient’s electronic health record when a prescription is filled and streamlining the dispensing process.³

RFID can optimize pharmacy operations at every level, from ensuring proper storage parameters for biologics and vaccines to creating a digital history of drug access to deter diversion and support compliance. Experts across the health care spectrum, including Arpit Mehta, PharmD, MPH, MHA, CPEL, director of pharmacy at Allegheny General Hospital, have spoken to the utility of RFID technology and the potential for it to revolutionize pharmacy operations.^3,4

“[RFID] technology can help us focus on what's important without truly worrying about…the labor or the staff that's needed to do that work safely,” he said in an interview with Pharmacy Times. “Technology helps to supplement how we do what we do, safely and effectively, for our patients.”⁴

REFERENCES

1. Profetto L, Gherardelli M, Iadanza E. Radio frequency identification (RFID) in health care: Where are we? A scoping review. Health Technol (Berl). 2022;12(5):879-891. doi:10.1007/s12553-022-00696-1

2. Batsishcha G, Ilyusenko P, Krutsko A. RFID technology: An overview for hospitals. ScienceSoft Healthcare. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.scnsoft.com/healthcare/iot/rfid-in-hospitals

3. Dymala K. RFID technology’s pivotal role in modern pharmacy management. Pharmacy Times. Published October 23, 2023. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/rfid-technology-s-pivotal-role-in-modern-pharmacy-management?utm_source=chatgpt.com

4. ASHP Midyear: Technology helps leverage medication management, IV compounding. Pharmacy Times. Published December 10, 2024. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/ashp-midyear-technology-helps-leverage-medication-management-iv-compounding