The collaboration focuses on tagging individual medications with UHF RFID inlays, allowing each item to be tracked automatically as it moves through the pharmacy lifecycle. From the moment stock arrives at receiving, through storage and shelving, to the point of dispensing and replenishment, every tagged item is visible in real time without requiring line-of-sight scanning or manual intervention.

This is a significant step forward for pharmacy inventory management. Traditional barcode systems require each item to be scanned individually, a process that is time-consuming and prone to human error. RFID readers, by contrast, can capture hundreds of tags simultaneously, giving pharmacists an accurate picture of what is on the shelf at any given moment. That level of visibility has direct implications for patient safety, as it helps ensure the right medication is available when it is needed and reduces the risk of dispensing errors.

One of the most compelling benefits of the RFID approach is waste reduction. Medications carry expiry dates, and products that sit too long on the shelf represent both a financial loss and a compliance risk. With RFID-enabled monitoring, pharmacy staff can identify slow-moving stock and approaching expiry dates before they become a problem. This allows for smarter purchasing decisions and more effective stock rotation, cutting waste and protecting margins.

Stockout prevention is another area where RFID delivers measurable results. When inventory levels are tracked continuously rather than checked periodically, reorder triggers can be set with far greater precision. Pharmacies no longer need to rely on guesswork or end-of-day counts to know when a product is running low.

SK&T has taken a practical approach to implementation, working directly alongside pharmacy teams to integrate RFID within their existing workflows. Rather than replacing current systems, the RFID layer sits on top, augmenting what is already in place. This minimises disruption and helps staff adopt the technology without a steep learning curve.

Zebra Technologies brings a well-established RFID platform to the partnership, with hardware and software that has been proven in real-world healthcare settings. Their readers, antennas, and management software provide the infrastructure needed to make item-level tracking reliable at scale.

For pharmacies facing pressure to reduce costs, improve accuracy, and maintain regulatory compliance, this kind of RFID deployment represents a practical and proven path forward. The combination of SK&T’s integration expertise and Zebra’s technology platform positions the partnership well to address a growing need across the healthcare supply chain.

Read more at https://www.skandt.com/2026/05/05/transforming-pharmacy-operations-with-rfid-precision/

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The Houston-based hospital, which handles more than 4.9 million patient encounters annually, previously had no reliable way to track its $40 million pharmaceutical inventory, representing 8-10% of its total drug budget. Staff relied on manual counting processes that consumed valuable time, while expired medications sat unnoticed on shelves and inventory reconciliation remained frustratingly inaccurate.

Working with Zebra Technologies and supply chain software provider Tecsys, the hospital rolled out a multi-layered UHF RFID solution. The deployment includes Zebra DS9908R hybrid scanners, HC50 Series mobile computers, RFD40 UHF RFID sleds capable of reading over 1,300 tags per second, and ZD621R desktop RFID printers. Medications valued at more than $250 each receive RFID labels, with reusable tags housed in custom 3D-printed boxes to keep costs down.

Terso Solutions refrigerators and cabinets equipped with built-in RFID readers provide automatic counting, eliminating the need for manual stock checks. The results have been striking. Tagging time dropped from two minutes per item to just seven seconds, while cabinet inventory accuracy now sits at 99.99%. The hospital reports a 100% improvement in inventory visibility, with the entire $40 million drug stockpile now tracked in real time.

The technology has also allowed the hospital to shift medication verification from pharmacists to pharmacy technicians using a tech-check-tech process, freeing up clinical pharmacists for patient-facing work. Real-time dashboards accessible on mobile devices give staff instant insight into stock levels and expiry dates across the facility.

Perhaps most notably, Texas Children’s has built an inventory sharing network with seven other children’s hospitals to exchange hard-to-source pediatric cancer drugs. This collaborative approach helps ensure that critical medications reach young patients who need them, rather than expiring unused on a shelf.

Gee Mathen, Director of Pharmacy Clinical Applications at Texas Children’s, has led the initiative alongside Jeffrey Wagner, VP of Pharmacy, who has overseen the programme’s expansion across the hospital’s operations.

Looking ahead, the hospital is exploring next-generation RFID innovations including temperature-sensitive tags that can detect heat exposure during storage and transport, as well as RFID lighting tags that illuminate on command to help staff quickly locate specific medications on crowded shelves.

The project demonstrates how UHF RFID technology, when paired with robust software and thoughtful process redesign, can transform pharmaceutical supply chains in large healthcare settings, delivering both significant cost savings and better patient outcomes.

Read more at https://www.zebra.com/us/en/resource-library/success-stories/texas-childrens-hospital-pharmacy-saves-millions-with-rfid-medication-tracking-cutting-waste-and-stockouts.html

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