Counterfeit drugs are a serious global problem. The market for bogus pills is estimated to hit an astounding $75 billion worldwide by 2010. It's not just the pharmaceutical companies who are hurt by this but consumers could put their health and lives at risk when they ingest fake pills. With the proliferation of online sites claiming to sell genuine pills, it has become a buyer beware situation.
Vardex Laser has come up with a security system to protect the public. Their product uses a computer controlled laser to etch each pill with alpha-numeric or barcode symbols combined with readily recognisable images or logos and other information such as dates. A hand held device can be used to scan or read the code. Their invention does it much faster than other methods - 12 million pills in 24 hours.
According to the company, "It provides the highest level of security at the lowest cost of investment."
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Anti-counterfeit Drugs
- Opportunity for innovative solutions to combat the global problem of counterfeit drugs.
- Laser Pill Etching
- Disruptive innovation potential in the security system for pharmaceuticals using computer-controlled laser etching.
- Online Drug Sales
- Potential for advancements in technology to address the issue of fake pills being sold on online platforms.
Sectors Adopting This
- Pharmaceutical Industry
- Opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to invest in advanced security measures to protect consumers from counterfeit drugs.
- Healthcare Industry
- Innovation potential to improve patient safety by implementing laser etching technology for drug identification.
- Technology Industry
- Opportunity to develop and implement advanced scanning devices for consumers to verify the authenticity of purchased drugs.
