Medicine bottles in the USA are going to have miniscule radio antennas (mini masts) as manufacturers try to combat growing counterfeiting of drugs. The antennas will emit radio signals so that the drug companies that make them can keep tags on where they are. The aim is to stop criminals getting hold of the bottles.

Viagra and Oxycontin will be the first ones with the mini masts. Only large bottles that are sent to pharmacists will be tagged. Eventually, manufacturers would like to tag all containers of medicines.

This new technology could eventually replace bar codes. When/if it does, you may one day be able to walk through the check out section of a supermarket without getting all your stuff out of the trolley. Suitcases and bags could be tagged, making it much more difficult for airlines to lose your luggage.

With this new technology, the pharmaceutical industry will be able to stop dishonest employees from placing counterfeit drugs into the supply chain. Currently, Viagra is the most counterfeited drug in the world.

Counterfeiting of drugs is spreading all over the world, entering the most unlikely places. Even the UK, which has a very strict and well controlled system, authorities are concerned at this growing problem.

View drug information on OxyContin; Viagra.