The costs of REACH

968 two-dimensional data matrices for a pharmaceutical pedigree. He added that the pharmaceutical industry in Europe feels that RFID “is not sufficiently mature, is less robust and costs more” than other approaches. By itself, he said, RFID is not a panacea, but should be used where it fits best. Despite the controversy, RFID technology has great potential. “In the context of healthcare, there are enormous gains to be had by increasing patient safety, and certifying the pedigree of pharmaceutical products as they move from the manufacturer to the final user,” Cavoukian said. “RFID technology is not a negative, by any means. It all depends on its application.” REFERENCES Cavoukian A (2006) Privacy Guidelines for RFID Information Systems. Ontario, Canada: Information and Privacy Commissioner. www.ipc.on.ca/docs/rfidgdlines.pdf EGE (2005a) Ethical Aspects of ICT Implants in the Human Body. Opinion No. 20, 16 March. Brussels, Belgium: European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies EGE (2005b) Ethical Aspects of ICT Implants in the Human Body: Opinion Presented to the Commission by the European Group on Ethics. MEMO/05/97, 17 March. Brussels, Belgium: European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies FDA (2006) FDA Counterfeit Drug Task Force Report, 2006 Update. Rockville, MD, USA: Food and Drug Administration