Reviewing the Drivers and Challenges in RFID Implementation in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

Counterfeiting is a global phenomenon that poses a serious financial threat to the pharmaceutical industry and more importantly jeopardizes public safety and security. Different measures, including new laws and regulations, have been put in place to mitigate the threat and tighten control in the pharmaceuticals supply chain. However, it appears that the most promising countermeasure is track-and-trace technology such as electronic-pedigree (E-pedigree) with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. In this study we present a framework exploring the antecedents and consequences of RFID applications in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The framework proposes that counterfeiting and E-pedigree regulation will drive the implementation of RFID in the pharmaceutical supply chain, which in turn provides strategic and operational benefits that enable competitive advantage. Meanwhile, the implementation of RFID requires overcoming many operational, technical and financial challenges. The framework provides a springboard that future study can explore using empirical data

The future of laboratory medicine - A 2014 perspective.

Predicting the future is a difficult task. Not surprisingly, there are many examples and assumptions that have proved to be wrong. This review surveys the many predictions, beginning in 1887, about the future of laboratory medicine and its sub-specialties such as clinical chemistry and molecular pathology. It provides a commentary on the accuracy of the predictions and offers opinions on emerging technologies, economic factors and social developments that may play a role in shaping the future of laboratory medicine

Designing Controllable Accountabilities of Future Internet of Things Applications

Within work environments, the emergence of Internet of Things applications creates radically new scenarios of use involving the enrichment of everyday objects with seamlessly integrated communication, sensing and computing capabilities and their integration into information systems. These changes can profoundly alter transparency of work processes, prescribe and prohibit actions, and change stakeholders’ overall accountability and control capabilities. Actors’ difficulties in meeting changed accountabilities due to an Internet of Things application may trigger severe disturbances in organizations. What actors are in control of and what they are held accountable for is partially prescribed by designers and involved stakeholders in the early stages of technology development. Therefore, this paper presents an approach for prospectively designing controllable accountabilities into envisaged Internet of Things applications. Three dimensions of accountability will be distinguished: visibility, responsibility and liability. Each dimension affects control requirements differently. The narrative network approach has been adopted to study envisioned organizational work processes along with the involved actors and their accountabilities and control capabilities. A description of how the approach can be used to prospectively align accountabilities and control capabilities is provided based on a case study of an Internet of Things application in product authentication. Advantages and limitations of the approach are discussed

Annotated Bibliography: Understanding Ambulatory Care Practices in the Context of Patient Safety and Quality Improvement.

The ambulatory care setting is an increasingly important component of the patient safety conversation. Inpatient safety is the primary focus of the vast majority of safety research and interventions, but the ambulatory setting is actually where most medical care is administered. Recent attention has shifted toward examining ambulatory care in order to implement better health care quality and safety practices. This annotated bibliography was created to analyze and augment the current literature on ambulatory care practices with regard to patient safety and quality improvement. By providing a thorough examination of current practices, potential improvement strategies in ambulatory care health care settings can be suggested. A better understanding of the myriad factors that influence delivery of patient care will catalyze future health care system development and implementation in the ambulatory setting