Sun Microsystems has unveiled a radio frequency identification (RFID) product designed to combat the growing problem of drug counterfeiting.

Pharmaceutical Anti-Counterfeit RFID, designed in partnership with SupplyScape Corporation, will be offered to companies in the pharmaceutical supply chain to combat counterfeiting.

The package is based on Sun Java Enterprise System Software and Sun's RFID Electronic Product Code-compliant infrastructure software.

It also uses SupplyScape's Electronic Pedigree application and runs on Linux or Sun Solaris x86-based servers.

The launch was timed to coincide with a US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Counterfeit Drug Task Force report, Combating Counterfeit Drugs, released yesterday.

"RFID technology will make the copying of medications either extremely difficult or unprofitable," the report stated.

The FDA said that these technologies could create a record of all transactions involving pharmaceutical products, thus providing an electronic pedigree from the manufacturer to the point of dispensing.

Liz From, life science industry manager at Sun, said in a statement: "The same technology offers short-term ROI by taking cost out of pharmaceutical supply chain operations."